1
as in captivities
the act of confining or the state of being confined
he was bored and frustrated by his incarceration in the quarantine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imprisonments
the state of being held in lawful custody
sentenced to six months of incarceration for dealing in narcotics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of incarcerations
Despite their felony convictions and impending incarcerations, both former Met police career criminals continue to collect their monthly kisses in the mail — $8,850 a month for Cederquist and $6,020 for Butner.
—
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Baltimore leaders say that 87% of young men enrolled in Roca Baltimore for 24 months have no new incarcerations, while those who stay in the program for three years are 19% less likely to return to a life of crime than other similarly aged men in Maryland.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 4 Dec. 2025
The investigation placed the abuses within El Salvador’s broader prison system under President Nayib Bukele, whose tenure has been marked by mass incarcerations, limited transparency and recurring human rights violations.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025
The incarcerations have been part of Bukele’s controversial efforts to stem the high crime rates and gang violence that have plagued the country for years.
—Michael Rios, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
The Body Politic uplifts Baltimore’s relative success in decreasing the city’s homicide and violent crime rate while not increasing incarcerations or the rate of citizen-police interactions.
—Richard Fowler, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Saturday, the nearly 30 young people attending the event sat around tables, discussing the issues important to them — from crime and education to jobs and youth incarcerations.
—La Risa R. Lynch, Journal Sentinel, 3 Oct. 2024
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Baltimore leaders say that 87% of young men enrolled in Roca Baltimore for 24 months have no new incarcerations, while those who stay in the program for three years are 19% less likely to return to a life of crime than other similarly aged men in Maryland.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 4 Dec. 2025
The investigation placed the abuses within El Salvador’s broader prison system under President Nayib Bukele, whose tenure has been marked by mass incarcerations, limited transparency and recurring human rights violations.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025
The incarcerations have been part of Bukele’s controversial efforts to stem the high crime rates and gang violence that have plagued the country for years.
—Michael Rios, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
The Body Politic uplifts Baltimore’s relative success in decreasing the city’s homicide and violent crime rate while not increasing incarcerations or the rate of citizen-police interactions.
—Richard Fowler, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Saturday, the nearly 30 young people attending the event sat around tables, discussing the issues important to them — from crime and education to jobs and youth incarcerations.
—La Risa R. Lynch, Journal Sentinel, 3 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incarcerations
Noun
-
While much of her early music didn’t delve into politics, her widespread influence and affiliation with the Shah resulted in brief imprisonments, interrogations, confiscations and, most permanently, a ban on singing and performing in Iran.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
As tensions in Minneapolis are ratcheted up, so has the debate across America about United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
19 Jan. 2026
-
These warrants are issued by federal agencies and allow for detentions to be made without a traditional arrest warrant.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incarcerations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incarcerations. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
