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
Most of the candidates’ pledges, such as tackling unaffordability, reducing gas prices, increasing capacity in state prisons, protecting gun owners’ rights and keeping trans athletes out of girls’ locker rooms, are nearly identical.
—
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The analysis by the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley found that ICE arrests more than quadrupled in that period, with transfers from jails and prisons roughly doubling.
—Daniella Silva, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
Unions representing state employees who work in California prisons are sponsoring the legislation, which would require the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to report how many contract employees work in its facilities and how much the state pays for those services.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Aside from rocketing costs in the departments that oversee state prisons and Medicaid, where the state has little choice but to meet increasing demand, Taggart said the committee reduced overall spending everywhere else.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
Studies show false-positive rates are especially high in prisons, which can lead to unfair punishments for inmates.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
For the next two weeks, Rebin visited morgues, cemeteries, police stations, prisons, and forensic offices in Tehran and its neighboring districts.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Michigan also partners with several colleges and universities to provide postsecondary education in state prisons, including Jackson College, Eastern Michigan University, Calvin University, Hope College, Grand Valley State University, Lake Superior State University and Wayne State University.
—CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Last month, Cuba released 51 people from the island’s prisons in an unexpected move that officials said stems from a spirit of goodwill and close relations with the Vatican.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The analysis by the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley found that ICE arrests more than quadrupled in that period, with transfers from jails and prisons roughly doubling.
—Daniella Silva, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
Unions representing state employees who work in California prisons are sponsoring the legislation, which would require the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to report how many contract employees work in its facilities and how much the state pays for those services.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Aside from rocketing costs in the departments that oversee state prisons and Medicaid, where the state has little choice but to meet increasing demand, Taggart said the committee reduced overall spending everywhere else.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
Studies show false-positive rates are especially high in prisons, which can lead to unfair punishments for inmates.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
For the next two weeks, Rebin visited morgues, cemeteries, police stations, prisons, and forensic offices in Tehran and its neighboring districts.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Michigan also partners with several colleges and universities to provide postsecondary education in state prisons, including Jackson College, Eastern Michigan University, Calvin University, Hope College, Grand Valley State University, Lake Superior State University and Wayne State University.
—CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Last month, Cuba released 51 people from the island’s prisons in an unexpected move that officials said stems from a spirit of goodwill and close relations with the Vatican.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisons
Noun
-
Trail takes the free workshops to about 500 people a year, mostly on campuses, community centers, and jails in the Bay Area and across the nation.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The analysis by the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley found that ICE arrests more than quadrupled in that period, with transfers from jails and prisons roughly doubling.—
Daniella Silva,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 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
-
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
-
Baltimore leaders say that 87% of young men enrolled in Roca Baltimore for 24 months have no new incarcerations, while those who stay in the program for three years are 19% less likely to return to a life of crime than other similarly aged men in Maryland.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prisons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisons. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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