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
In New York, guards who brutalized prisoners or covered it up were rarely fired.
—
Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The bill’s author, Phil Ting, said at the time the bill was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which sickened tens of thousands of prisoners and killed over 200.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 12 Mar. 2026
The change added a room where prisoners are to be examined and prepped for either a standard peripheral IV, or a central line — a more invasive procedure that inserts into the internal jugular in the neck, a femoral vein in the upper thigh or a subclavian vein in the chest.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
Transgender people have been the focus of an aggressive legislative push to mitigate their access to health care in recent years, and now trans prisoners are facing a new offensive.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 11 Mar. 2026
On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, following the bombing of a military center near Mahabad Prison, prisoners whose ward doors had been locked protested and set fire to their blankets, demanding their release under wartime conditions.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
The movement also demands Cuba allow United States embassy personnel to visit prisoners who are American citizens.
—Sofia Saric, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Well, right now, the federal case is proceeding and there have been two dozen people charged with violating the civil rights of Tony Mitchell and other prisoners there.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
Vladimir Medinsky, a Russian negotiator, said on social media that a total of 500 prisoners from each side would be exchanged between Thursday and Friday.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The bill’s author, Phil Ting, said at the time the bill was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which sickened tens of thousands of prisoners and killed over 200.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 12 Mar. 2026
The change added a room where prisoners are to be examined and prepped for either a standard peripheral IV, or a central line — a more invasive procedure that inserts into the internal jugular in the neck, a femoral vein in the upper thigh or a subclavian vein in the chest.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
Transgender people have been the focus of an aggressive legislative push to mitigate their access to health care in recent years, and now trans prisoners are facing a new offensive.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 11 Mar. 2026
On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, following the bombing of a military center near Mahabad Prison, prisoners whose ward doors had been locked protested and set fire to their blankets, demanding their release under wartime conditions.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026
The movement also demands Cuba allow United States embassy personnel to visit prisoners who are American citizens.
—Sofia Saric, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Well, right now, the federal case is proceeding and there have been two dozen people charged with violating the civil rights of Tony Mitchell and other prisoners there.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
Vladimir Medinsky, a Russian negotiator, said on social media that a total of 500 prisoners from each side would be exchanged between Thursday and Friday.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisoners
captives
Noun
-
But women were among the captives who survived the Middle Passage.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In Empire City, when a hostage crisis erupts inside New York’s landmark Clybourn Building, former Navy SEAL turned firefighter Rhett (Butler), his squad, and his NYPD wife Dani (Hayley Atwell) must fight and navigate their way through the building to rescue the captives.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prisoners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisoners. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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