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
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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
The bullet points highlight Steyer’s hedge fund’s investments in fossil fuel, tobacco, private prisons and casinos.
—
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
In Pennsylvania and across the nation, suboxone is being heralded as the answer to addiction, especially in prisons and jails.
—Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 1 May 2026
After entering reform school at the age of 9, Coe spent most of the next 20 years of his life in and out of prisons for charges ranging from armed robbery to auto theft, according to a 2005 Rolling Stone article.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
That same technology has arrived in our backyards, prisons, and airspace.
—Pat Ryan, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Not in one of those doggy prisons that leave him in a cage all day.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
This led him to reflect on how much prisons have changed and eventually to an idea with his Marshall Project colleagues.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
These journalists filled space with their reviews and a host of other stories related to theater including the work of theater productions in prisons, education, and other areas.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
Political personal finance content has also extended beyond protests into things such as tracking the financial integrity of members of Congress or avoiding investments that could fund things such as private prisons.
—Maximilian Brichta, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
In Pennsylvania and across the nation, suboxone is being heralded as the answer to addiction, especially in prisons and jails.
—Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 1 May 2026
After entering reform school at the age of 9, Coe spent most of the next 20 years of his life in and out of prisons for charges ranging from armed robbery to auto theft, according to a 2005 Rolling Stone article.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
That same technology has arrived in our backyards, prisons, and airspace.
—Pat Ryan, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Not in one of those doggy prisons that leave him in a cage all day.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
This led him to reflect on how much prisons have changed and eventually to an idea with his Marshall Project colleagues.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
These journalists filled space with their reviews and a host of other stories related to theater including the work of theater productions in prisons, education, and other areas.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
Political personal finance content has also extended beyond protests into things such as tracking the financial integrity of members of Congress or avoiding investments that could fund things such as private prisons.
—Maximilian Brichta, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisons
Noun
-
Earlier on Thursday, her sentence was reduced by a further one-sixth as part of a wider amnesty of all prisoners in Myanmar’s jails.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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Carranza said county jails need to be modernized and need more medical staff to care for a population that is increasingly mentally ill and struggling with addiction.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Behind bars in state penitentiaries in Gatesville and Marlin, Mejia felt forgotten.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Once a technically complicated legal rarity used to challenge improper incarcerations, habeas corpus petitions have become the predominant avenue for immigrants seeking release from detentions that increasingly end only with a deportation order.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
-
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.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prisons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisons. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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