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
Relevance
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
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 jails
Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
North Carolina legislators accurately portrayed a gap between how many people Immigration and Customs Enforcement picked up from Mecklenburg and Wake County jails through much of 2025.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
In addition to Diamondback, Oklahoma now houses ICE detainees at the Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing, the Kay County Detention Center in Newkirk, and multiple county jails.
—Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Feb. 2026
Homan said cooperation with local law enforcement has improved, allowing for more immigration detentions to occur at jails rather than on the street.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 13 Feb. 2026
Advertisement One of the plans that ICE is pursuing in this effort to build massive detention facilities is acquiring warehouses and turning them into jails, despite protests in local communities.
—Philip Wang, Time, 12 Feb. 2026
According to Sheriff’s Department data, half of the 46 deaths recorded in county jails last year were listed as natural.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Per state law, only municipalities and police departments operating county jails have to sign 287(g) agreements.
—Thomas Kennedy, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
Orange County is one of a handful across Florida with a contract to hold this kind of prisoner — other area jails only accept inmates who have been arrested on charges in that county, then found to have an immigration hold.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Kim Aris, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
There have also been fewer inmate deaths in Tarrant County than in Dallas and Harris counties, although those county jails have more capacity — 7,552 beds in Dallas County and 10,466 beds in Harris County, the report shows.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
North Carolina legislators accurately portrayed a gap between how many people Immigration and Customs Enforcement picked up from Mecklenburg and Wake County jails through much of 2025.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
In addition to Diamondback, Oklahoma now houses ICE detainees at the Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing, the Kay County Detention Center in Newkirk, and multiple county jails.
—Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Feb. 2026
Homan said cooperation with local law enforcement has improved, allowing for more immigration detentions to occur at jails rather than on the street.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 13 Feb. 2026
Advertisement One of the plans that ICE is pursuing in this effort to build massive detention facilities is acquiring warehouses and turning them into jails, despite protests in local communities.
—Philip Wang, Time, 12 Feb. 2026
According to Sheriff’s Department data, half of the 46 deaths recorded in county jails last year were listed as natural.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Per state law, only municipalities and police departments operating county jails have to sign 287(g) agreements.
—Thomas Kennedy, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
Orange County is one of a handful across Florida with a contract to hold this kind of prisoner — other area jails only accept inmates who have been arrested on charges in that county, then found to have an immigration hold.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
-
Iraq's National Center for International Judicial Cooperation said 5,704 suspects from 61 countries who were affiliated with IS were transferred from prisons in Syria.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, says mounting media campaigns from federal prisons is hardly as simple as buying a ring light and pressing record.—
Andrew Zucker,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
