as in jails
to put in or as if in prison
in this society, we try to imprison criminals so that they can't do any more harm
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Recent Examples of imprisons
County leaders vowed to legally oppose the facility, pointing to county zoning laws that do not allow for detention centers or any type of facility that holds or imprisons people on county land.
—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
But such judgments often come from a place of distance—from people who have never lived under a theocracy that imprisons, tortures, and kills with impunity.
—Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 11 Mar. 2026
Belarus now imprisons 28 journalists as President Lukashenko intensifies a crackdown on press freedom.
—Yuras Karmanau, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Afwerki routinely imprisons his critics and political opponents and has implemented a policy of indefinite mandatory military and national service for residents, which human-rights watchdogs say amounts to slavery.
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
But such judgments often come from a place of distance—from people who have never lived under a theocracy that imprisons, tortures, and kills with impunity.
—Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 11 Mar. 2026
Belarus now imprisons 28 journalists as President Lukashenko intensifies a crackdown on press freedom.
—Yuras Karmanau, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Afwerki routinely imprisons his critics and political opponents and has implemented a policy of indefinite mandatory military and national service for residents, which human-rights watchdogs say amounts to slavery.
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imprisons
Verb
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The facility is one of 11 Kentucky jails that contract with ICE to detain people.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
24 Feb. 2026
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China, which jails human rights activists in Hong Kong, persecutes Uyghurs, has killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and has committed genocide against the Falun Gong, is on the UN Human Rights Council.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Today, Rikers incarcerates approximately sixty-seven hundred people—most of whom are in pretrial detention, others who are serving terms of less than a year—in facilities that are within New York City while also being out of sight and largely out of reach.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Verb
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What are your rights if ICE detains you?—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Independent groups like Human Rights Watch say the Venezuelan government intimidates human rights advocates, arrests and detains protesters and harasses journalists.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Places like Los Angeles and Oakland have high permit fees and strict zoning that often confines cans to industrial areas.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
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In an industry that often confines its actors, especially women and especially Black women, Hall continues to carve a path defined by risk, depth and courage.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
14 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imprisons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imprisons. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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