jail 1 of 2

noun

ˈjāl How to pronounce jail (audio)
Definition of jailnext
as in prison
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody sentenced to three years in jail for his crime

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

jail

2 of 2

verb

as in to imprison
to put in or as if in prison threatened to jail the punks if they so much as jaywalked

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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 jail
Noun
Trey Songz has avoided jail time following his arrest last year over allegedly punching an employee at a nightclub in New York City. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026 Judge Laina Fetherolf has set the bond for the three defendants who remain in jail at $300,000. — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Verb
Hundreds of people have been jailed and thousands of others have fled the country. — ABC News, 13 July 2026 References to virginity in the book saw Parsipur jailed two more times. — News Desk, Artforum, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for jail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jail
  1. prison
  2. imprison
  3. penitentiary
  4. incarcerate
Noun
  • He was later sentenced to 20 months in prison and ordered to pay Rockhurst $49,500 in restitution.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • Prosecutors said Garcia faces a maximum sentence of 181 years to life in prison.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of prison
Verb
  • But years later, some of the highest-flying professional clubs have folded due to financial mismanagement, and dozens of soccer officials have been banned or imprisoned, and numerous teams ensnared in an anti-graft campaign.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • Many prominent opposition leaders have been imprisoned, forced into exile or stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship, while opposition parties and independent civic organizations have lost their legal status.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of imprison
Noun
  • Hodge says he was abused in multiple federal penitentiaries, but was frequently blocked from filing complaints about it.
    — Christie Thompson, NPR, 13 July 2026
  • The red-brick Hoshinoya Nara Prison was built in 1908 and, as its name makes quite clear, was previously a penitentiary.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of penitentiary
Verb
  • The center is set to serve those reentering society after being incarcerated, as well as veterans and other underserved groups, per its website.
    — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
  • Formerly incarcerated people with disabilities, chronic mental health or substance abuse issues and those who are older tend to be at higher risk for post-incarceration homelessness, Western said.
    — Amber Gaudet July 18, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
Definition of incarcerate

Browse Nearby Words

jags
jail
jailbird
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Cite this Entry

“Jail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jail. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of jail for Spanish Speakers

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