1
as in jails
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the ongoing debate whether drug users should go to prison
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in captivities
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prisons
There were also provisions in the main budget bill (HB 5001E) that tied $91 million in pay increases for corrections officers to the approval of the prisons bill, so those salary hikes are also nixed.
—
Cbs Miami Team,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
Tampons and pads also are limited in many prisons, and Sellars said some women are left with no choice but to openly bleed.
—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
Since 2021, Maryland prisons have become more violent as assaults against inmates and staff have more than doubled, according to the public safety department’s 2027 Fiscal Budget Overview.
—
Theodore Rose,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2026
In late 2022, the state hired the firm KPMG to create a 20-year master plan for Florida’s prisons.
—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2026
But how does that -- how does abolishing prisons or having open borders fit into that?
—
ABC News,
28 June 2026
Keijiro Yamashita, a government architect from the Meiji era, designed Nara Prison and several other important prisons and courthouses.
—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
In 2025, Ward asked state lawmakers to pass a law that would allow his office or the Office of the Inspector General, which is responsible for investigating any deaths in state prisons, to publicly release video footage of such incidents.
—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
27 June 2026
At least six American citizens are being held in Iranian prisons.
—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
25 June 2026
Cbs Miami Team,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
Tampons and pads also are limited in many prisons, and Sellars said some women are left with no choice but to openly bleed.
—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
Since 2021, Maryland prisons have become more violent as assaults against inmates and staff have more than doubled, according to the public safety department’s 2027 Fiscal Budget Overview.
—
Theodore Rose,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2026
In late 2022, the state hired the firm KPMG to create a 20-year master plan for Florida’s prisons.
—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2026
But how does that -- how does abolishing prisons or having open borders fit into that?
—
ABC News,
28 June 2026
Keijiro Yamashita, a government architect from the Meiji era, designed Nara Prison and several other important prisons and courthouses.
—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
In 2025, Ward asked state lawmakers to pass a law that would allow his office or the Office of the Inspector General, which is responsible for investigating any deaths in state prisons, to publicly release video footage of such incidents.
—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
27 June 2026
At least six American citizens are being held in Iranian prisons.
—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
25 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisons
Noun
-
The goal is to eventually close the island to incarcerated individuals in a decarceration plan, replacing it with four other jails in Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn.
-
The borough jails won't be ready and Rikers' current population of about 6,700 inmates surpasses the 4,100-bed capacity of the new facilities.
Noun
-
One 2025 study found that these waivers may be tied to fewer hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and incarcerations among adults with serious mental illness.
-
Despite their felony convictions and impending incarcerations, both former Met police career criminals continue to collect their monthly kisses in the mail — $8,850 a month for Cederquist and $6,020 for Butner.
Noun
-
This includes providing the Colombian military more leeway in the field, signing a new security agreement with Washington and building 10 mega-prisons that mimic Bukele’s network of penitentiaries in El Salvador.
-
Behind bars in state penitentiaries in Gatesville and Marlin, Mejia felt forgotten.
Cite this Entry
“Prisons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisons. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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