as in captive
one that has been taken and held in confinement
the prisoners were fed only bread and water twice a day
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Recent Examples of prisoner
Both Gomez and Pérez argue that the Cuban government often labels common prisoners as political detainees when announcing releases.
—
Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
In 2023, the jail’s administration confirmed 18 total deaths of prisoners in custody.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
For much of the 20th century in the United States, tattoos were associated with rebellion and criminality — linked to prisoners, gangs and subcultures, as well as servicemen like sailors and soldiers.
—Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
The announcement of the two prisoners put to death came after authorities said at least seven others were executed last month, while RFE/RL noted that growing numbers of people were being arrested on accusation of spying.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prisoner
Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
In 2023, the jail’s administration confirmed 18 total deaths of prisoners in custody.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
For much of the 20th century in the United States, tattoos were associated with rebellion and criminality — linked to prisoners, gangs and subcultures, as well as servicemen like sailors and soldiers.
—Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
The announcement of the two prisoners put to death came after authorities said at least seven others were executed last month, while RFE/RL noted that growing numbers of people were being arrested on accusation of spying.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prisoner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisoner
Noun
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As for the three other captives, Caldwell says at least two remain deeply scarred to this day.—
Namir Khaliq,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
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Alejandra, a Spanish-language radio DJ who had for years posted community events, news, and real-time weather alerts on her Facebook page, Explosion Latina NOLA, was now helping relatives of ICE’s captives navigate its detainee database.—
Daniel Brook,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Each building becomes part of the city’s rainfall-capture network.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Officers chased down the other two suspects, who were seen on the drone camera climbing onto rooftops to evade capture, and eventually took them into custody.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prisoner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisoner. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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