as in jails
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
earned six years in a federal pen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in writers
a person who creates a written work
Alexander Hamilton is reckoned to be the pseudonymous pen behind two thirds of the Federalist Papers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in houses
to close or shut in by or as if by barriers
remember to pen up the dogs when visitors come over
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in writes
to compose and set down on paper the words of
though relatively unknown at the time of his death, the composer had penned some of the most memorable show tunes of his era
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Recent Examples of pens
Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Trump told a lengthy story about negotiating over the price of Sharpie pens.
—Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
Unlike pencils or pomades, which tend to shade in larger areas, brow pens are all about precision.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 22 Mar. 2026
Typical choices for novelists are notebooks, pens, and laptops, while conservators use brushes, scalpels, and fine sandpaper.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
People are making pink bagels, pink pens and even little pink ducks.
—Zachary Bernstein, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Add legs, eyes, and noses to the fingerprint caterpillars with paint pens.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 14 Mar. 2026
Vautin has created a true stationery smorgasbord, stuffed with creamy notebooks, wax seals, fountain pens and inks, wee porcelain bowls, mini-colored-pencil sets, gift wrap, highlighter pens, Hobonichi planners, a bounty of illustrated stickers, and washi-tape rolls by the dozen.
—Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Others offer props like pens and books.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
Yousafzai pens a portrait of a young woman discovering her identity amid immense pressure.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
The series kicks off when Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), a member of a powerful Oklahoma family, pens a suicide note, hides it inside a book on his shelves, and then shoots himself in the head.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
As banking giveaways go, fintech company Acorns is offering Chicagoans something a little more valuable than the traditional pens and calendars.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Trump told a lengthy story about negotiating over the price of Sharpie pens.
—Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
Unlike pencils or pomades, which tend to shade in larger areas, brow pens are all about precision.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 22 Mar. 2026
Typical choices for novelists are notebooks, pens, and laptops, while conservators use brushes, scalpels, and fine sandpaper.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
People are making pink bagels, pink pens and even little pink ducks.
—Zachary Bernstein, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Add legs, eyes, and noses to the fingerprint caterpillars with paint pens.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 14 Mar. 2026
Vautin has created a true stationery smorgasbord, stuffed with creamy notebooks, wax seals, fountain pens and inks, wee porcelain bowls, mini-colored-pencil sets, gift wrap, highlighter pens, Hobonichi planners, a bounty of illustrated stickers, and washi-tape rolls by the dozen.
—Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Others offer props like pens and books.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
Amazon moved fast to board the project and the film will now be a big priority at the studio as Loeb pens the script.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
Yousafzai pens a portrait of a young woman discovering her identity amid immense pressure.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
The series kicks off when Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), a member of a powerful Oklahoma family, pens a suicide note, hides it inside a book on his shelves, and then shoots himself in the head.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pens. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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