1
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the ongoing debate whether drug users should go to prison
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in captivity
the act of confining or the state of being confined
the view that prison does nothing to cure the criminal—if anything, it makes him worse
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prison
He was sentenced to 20 months in prison, and ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution.
—
Tricia Romano, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
Austin, 39, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in January and was later sentenced to 16 years to life in prison in May, per CBS News.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 24 June 2025
Joseph Suarez is expected to receive 28 years in prison and won’t be eligible for parole for 14 years.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025
Under the terms of the agreement, Judge Julie Lugo, who presides in the 372nd District Court, sentenced Wolfe to 40 years in prison.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prison
Tricia Romano, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
Austin, 39, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in January and was later sentenced to 16 years to life in prison in May, per CBS News.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 24 June 2025
Joseph Suarez is expected to receive 28 years in prison and won’t be eligible for parole for 14 years.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025
Under the terms of the agreement, Judge Julie Lugo, who presides in the 372nd District Court, sentenced Wolfe to 40 years in prison.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prison
Noun
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Repeat offenders could face 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine, or sometimes both.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
-
In the years since, John has been arrested several times and served jail time for violence against two different women, per The New York Times.—
Kelsey Lentz,
People.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
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Almost immediately, some enslaved people fled their captivity and established small communities in the interior, in a region that came to be called Palmares.—
Time,
Time,
17 June 2025
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The soldiers, 21-year-old Paek and 26-year-old Ri, remain in Ukrainian captivity.—
Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
16 June 2025
Noun
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Weger was taken to the Illinois state penitentiary in Joliet to begin his life sentence.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2025
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On top of her one-year sentence on obscenity charges, Adams was sentenced to six months at a women’s penitentiary—a pair of punishments that allowed authorities to start considering whether to ship her back to Poland upon her release from prison.—
Kellie B. Gormly,
Smithsonian Magazine,
26 June 2025
Noun
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As many as 300 Black Tulsans were killed, and thousands were temporarily held in internment camps overseen by the National Guard.—
Ani Freedman,
Fortune,
20 June 2025
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It was most recently used as the basis for Japanese internment during World War II.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
6 May 2025
Noun
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The county’s incarceration rate was 56% higher than the state average, fueled by people with mental illnesses and substance abuse problems.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 June 2025
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Children who can’t read proficiently by third grade are far more likely to fall behind, drop out of high school and face worse life outcomes — from lower earnings to higher incarceration rates to shorter life expectancy.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 June 2025
Noun
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Now He’s Accused of Killing All 3 Copeland will remain in pretrial confinement, because of the seriousness of the charges, Griffin told WAVY.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
21 June 2025
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Below, a full rundown of Kelly’s recent attempts to escape confinement.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prison. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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