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
  • Jewish prisoners helped build the synagogue, with some support from Fleischer and others in the outside community.
    — Stephen Silver, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026
  • If Hamas released female, elderly, and wounded hostages, Israel would withdraw from population centers in Gaza and release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of prisoners
Noun
  • He is listed among the two hundred convicts who arrived in Sydney aboard the barque Norfolk in August 1829.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • The new bill has a broader base of legislative support and instead uses the preference distinction to incentivize hiring former convicts as opposed to the 15% quota.
    — Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of convicts
Noun
  • The inmates themselves led a renovation of the synagogue in the 1960s.
    — Stephen Silver, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026
  • Are Deml and his followers more concerned about inmates’ safety or the public’s safety?
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 20 July 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 25 Jul. 2026.

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