as in captives
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 prisoners
The method of nitrogen hypoxia requires prisoners to breathe in the gas through an industrial-grade mask while strapped to a gurney and being deprived of oxygen.
—
Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 12 June 2026
By Thursday afternoon, the court had not yet released a decision, said Naji Abbas, director of prisoners and detainees at the nonprofit group Physicians for Human Rights — Israel.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Previously, a spokesperson said that the bureau does not discuss conditions of confinement or security procedures and that employee standards of conduct prohibit staff from giving any prisoners preferential treatment.
—Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 11 June 2026
These prisoners, soon infected with the virus, are forced to eliminate each other in exchange for their own freedom.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 June 2026
Six volunteers certified for no less than three years apiece through Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, will be recruited to ensure the Idaho Department of Correction is ready to comply with a state law that prioritizes shooting prisoners to death over lethal injection starting July 1.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 10 June 2026
By no stretch of the imagination are these prisoners a flight risk.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
He and others in his unit had been captured at Winchester, Virginia, by the Confederates and were being held as prisoners in Richmond.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
Deputies were on scene for a couple of hours before the missing prisoners were discovered, Six said.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 8 June 2026
Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 12 June 2026
By Thursday afternoon, the court had not yet released a decision, said Naji Abbas, director of prisoners and detainees at the nonprofit group Physicians for Human Rights — Israel.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Previously, a spokesperson said that the bureau does not discuss conditions of confinement or security procedures and that employee standards of conduct prohibit staff from giving any prisoners preferential treatment.
—Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 11 June 2026
These prisoners, soon infected with the virus, are forced to eliminate each other in exchange for their own freedom.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 11 June 2026
Six volunteers certified for no less than three years apiece through Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, will be recruited to ensure the Idaho Department of Correction is ready to comply with a state law that prioritizes shooting prisoners to death over lethal injection starting July 1.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 10 June 2026
By no stretch of the imagination are these prisoners a flight risk.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
He and others in his unit had been captured at Winchester, Virginia, by the Confederates and were being held as prisoners in Richmond.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
Deputies were on scene for a couple of hours before the missing prisoners were discovered, Six said.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisoners
captives
Noun
-
On a day in mid-July, three men kidnapped a bus full of schoolchildren and forced their captives into an underground bunker where they were buried alive.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
-
From France’s port cities, dozens of ships sailed for Africa every year, where merchants purchased human captives to be sold in the colonies.—
Jeremy D. Popkin,
The Conversation,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prisoners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisoners. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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