jailbirds

noun

plural of jailbird
as in prisoners
a person convicted as a criminal and serving a prison sentence had spent most of his sorry life as a jailbird in hoosegows across the South

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 jailbirds But these jailbirds aren’t using their own fingers to fire off missives or create clones. — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jailbirds
  1. prisoners
  2. convicts
  3. inmates
Noun
  • The Sheriff’s Department typically houses mentally ill prisoners at the Twin Towers, but Magaña’s family claims he was not transferred to a specialized unit within the jail that deals with more challenging cases.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Dating to before statehood in 1890, a total of 26 prisoners have been put to death, including 10 executions at the Old Penitentiary in Boise, according to the Idaho State Historical Society.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of prisoners
Noun
  • Aiming to make the race to succeed Tillis a referendum on crime, Republicans have run ads claiming that Democratic nominee Roy Cooper went easy on convicts during his two terms in the governor’s mansion.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Nor could Grossman write about collaborators or the punishment battalions composed of convicts that were used as cannon fodder (one of many parallels between the conduct of the Soviet army and the present-day Russian military in Ukraine).
    — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of convicts
Noun
  • Combs and his time in FCI Fort Dix recently made headlines when NBC News reported last month that the musician had been paying men for special services, including paying inmates to clean and cook special meals for him.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The jail has issued inmates Android tablets and Englert says some have turned the heat shields into blades.
    — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of inmates

Browse Nearby Words

jailbird
jailbirds
jailbreak
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Cite this Entry

“Jailbirds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jailbirds. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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