Synonyms of incarcerate

incarcerate

verb

in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt 

as in to imprison

to put in or as if in prison

the state incarcerated over 1900 people last year

Synonyms & Similar Words

• imprison
• jail
• intern
• detain
• confine
• commit
• restrain
• arrest
• lock (up)
• immure
• catch
• restrict
• apprehend
• capture
• shut
• limit
• constrain
• jug
• seize
• gate
• bar
• keep
• bind
• impound
• impress
• hold
• nab
• pinch
• bust
• pick up
• enchain
• shackle
• handcuff
• fetter
• shanghai
• trammel
• manacle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• liberate
• free
• release
• discharge
• emancipate
• enfranchise
• manumit
• unbind
• unchain
• unfetter
• uncage

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of incarcerate

He was previously incarcerated at the Fort Dix correctional institution. — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Oct. 2026

In her experience, the criminal justice system doesn’t do nearly enough to rehabilitate the incarcerated and address the underlying issues, often based in trauma, that lead people to commit crimes. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

The campaign brings together Fox and Johnson’s boundary-pushing styles and supports Fox’s nonprofit Rosebuds Reading Collective for women who are incarcerated. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

The woman was released in May, but during the five months she was incarcerated, her husband took their daughters out of state, her attorney told ProPublica. — Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2026

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