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
But local history, including the region’s dead mobsters, Irish Catholic community, state prisons, and shuttered Italian restaurants, looms large on their new Coin-O-Matic.
—
Arman Khan, Pitchfork, 19 June 2026
Nowhere is that more visible than Krome Avenue, a road once known more for its nearby prisons than its family-friendly farm attractions.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 19 June 2026
The plan to buy large warehouses unfit for human habitation and spend millions more to convert them to prisons sparked nationwide backlash and pointed resistance in Social Circle and Oakwood.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 19 June 2026
In a four-month trial at three different federal prisons, more than a third of the complaints were granted.
—Christie Thompson, NPR, 17 June 2026
The loss of stable jobs in communities where prisons are located requires prison staff to either transfer facilities or find employment elsewhere.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2026
Trump also brought lethal injection back to federal prisons, a protocol Biden withdrew before his term ended.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
Guerrero Flores and a few other inmates saw a profitable opportunity as the government neglected prisons.
—Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
Firing squad members’ identities are confidential by state law, known only to the prisons director and a deputy chief.
—Idaho Statesman, 12 June 2026
Arman Khan, Pitchfork, 19 June 2026
Nowhere is that more visible than Krome Avenue, a road once known more for its nearby prisons than its family-friendly farm attractions.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 19 June 2026
The plan to buy large warehouses unfit for human habitation and spend millions more to convert them to prisons sparked nationwide backlash and pointed resistance in Social Circle and Oakwood.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 19 June 2026
In a four-month trial at three different federal prisons, more than a third of the complaints were granted.
—Christie Thompson, NPR, 17 June 2026
The loss of stable jobs in communities where prisons are located requires prison staff to either transfer facilities or find employment elsewhere.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2026
Trump also brought lethal injection back to federal prisons, a protocol Biden withdrew before his term ended.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
Guerrero Flores and a few other inmates saw a profitable opportunity as the government neglected prisons.
—Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
Firing squad members’ identities are confidential by state law, known only to the prisons director and a deputy chief.
—Idaho Statesman, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisons
Noun
-
Correctional Health Services, which administers addiction treatment programs in the jails, said more efforts are needed to prevent drugs from getting into the facilities.—
Gavin J. Quinton,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Deputies will continue to process individuals in custody at the South Placer and Auburn jails, officials said.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
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
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.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
Behind bars in state penitentiaries in Gatesville and Marlin, Mejia felt forgotten.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prisons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisons. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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