as in prisons
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
sentenced to three years in jail for his crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in imprisons
to put in or as if in prison
threatened to jail the punks if they so much as jaywalked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jails
Idaho Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Last year, Colorado lawmakers briefly debated blocking ICE agents from entering nonpublic areas of jails.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
Gauger had oversight of the jails.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Now running for sheriff, Santoyo said his prior experience with investigations, jails and courts prepare him for the role’s responsibilities.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
And, thanks to cooperation agreements that will give ICE more access to jails—and, again, possibly sensitive voter data—the reach of these agents will be longer than ever.
—Phillip Atiba Solomon, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Left to wait, Sosa Ordonez joins hundreds of other ICE detainees in Kentucky jails uncertain about their futures.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
Two brothers are also in Mexican jails.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Feb. 2026
Meyer argues that the state spends billions without addressing glaring needs, and 5200 could cost less than roller-coastering people through hospitals, courts, jails and prisons without putting them on a healthier track.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
China, which jails human rights activists in Hong Kong, persecutes Uyghurs, has killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and has committed genocide against the Falun Gong, is on the UN Human Rights Council.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
The regime that jails children also profits from drugs, human trafficking, and online scams.
—Kim Aris, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
So far this fiscal year, the department has paid over $16 million to county jails to house state inmates, just under $2 million of which has gone to Ada County, said Mortensen, the spokesperson, in an email.
—Idaho Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Last year, Colorado lawmakers briefly debated blocking ICE agents from entering nonpublic areas of jails.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
Gauger had oversight of the jails.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Now running for sheriff, Santoyo said his prior experience with investigations, jails and courts prepare him for the role’s responsibilities.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
And, thanks to cooperation agreements that will give ICE more access to jails—and, again, possibly sensitive voter data—the reach of these agents will be longer than ever.
—Phillip Atiba Solomon, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Left to wait, Sosa Ordonez joins hundreds of other ICE detainees in Kentucky jails uncertain about their futures.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
Two brothers are also in Mexican jails.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Feb. 2026
Meyer argues that the state spends billions without addressing glaring needs, and 5200 could cost less than roller-coastering people through hospitals, courts, jails and prisons without putting them on a healthier track.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
The facility is one of 11 Kentucky jails that contract with ICE to detain people.
—Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
China, which jails human rights activists in Hong Kong, persecutes Uyghurs, has killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and has committed genocide against the Falun Gong, is on the UN Human Rights Council.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
The regime that jails children also profits from drugs, human trafficking, and online scams.
—Kim Aris, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jails
Noun
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Questions had emerged over the fate of thousands of Islamic State prisoners, and their families in northeastern Syria after government forces last month seized swaths of territory long controlled by Kurdish forces that had been guarding the prisons.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Revisiting the case in December 2024, a Cold Case Unit detective searched the suspects’ profiles against DNA profiles of people incarcerated in Florida prisons to look for possible relatives.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Afwerki routinely imprisons his critics and political opponents and has implemented a policy of indefinite mandatory military and national service for residents, which human-rights watchdogs say amounts to slavery.—
Zak Cheney-Rice,
Vulture,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
8 Dec. 2025
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After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jails. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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