as in jails
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
earned six years in a federal pen
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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
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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
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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
Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
The compartment has two sections for a laptop and a tablet (or two laptops), plus a large zip pocket for small or slim objects, like chargers or pens.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2025
Stash your phone, wallet, and keys in the middle zip pocket and keep your notebook, pens, and snacks in either of the two open compartments.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2025
Big Papi was courteous and gentlemanly, unlike Grabby, who snatched at pens, glasses, hair—whatever was in sight.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Maybe, but with a few hundred passengers hitting the counter at once, those pens disappear fast.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025
The table wasn’t just filled with World Series nameplates and various pens.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Ancient book clasps — used to keep manuscript tomes shut — were uncovered at the site, along with styli, the medieval equivalents of pens and pencils.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
There are even pens that can work in the weightlessness of space.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
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
Reduce visual surface clutter by selecting coordinating organizers to conceal your paperclips, scissors, notepads, and pens.
—Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
The compartment has two sections for a laptop and a tablet (or two laptops), plus a large zip pocket for small or slim objects, like chargers or pens.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2025
Stash your phone, wallet, and keys in the middle zip pocket and keep your notebook, pens, and snacks in either of the two open compartments.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2025
Big Papi was courteous and gentlemanly, unlike Grabby, who snatched at pens, glasses, hair—whatever was in sight.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Maybe, but with a few hundred passengers hitting the counter at once, those pens disappear fast.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025
The table wasn’t just filled with World Series nameplates and various pens.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Ancient book clasps — used to keep manuscript tomes shut — were uncovered at the site, along with styli, the medieval equivalents of pens and pencils.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
There are even pens that can work in the weightlessness of space.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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 19 Nov. 2025.
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