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 State Building Commission will take up the first steps toward overhauling the state's prisons this week.
—
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Projects engage critical questions of ecology, migration, identity, religion, and architecture, and excavate both metaphorical and literal prisons.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
Barghouti’s family alleges that he has been beaten by guards in Israel's prisons, which are under the control of Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Netanyahu's coalition.
—Karl Vick, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
For those people who The Observer confirmed were arrested in North Carolina during both periods, more than half were arrested straight from county jails and state or federal prisons.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2025
Jerí's plan involves slotting the military into the police in key areas, such as prisons and markets lining the streets, Solar said.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The agency is instead holding people in jails, prisons or tent encampments – the first and largest on the Fort Bliss military base in Texas – before deporting them.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
The revelation immediately erupted into a political crisis, with the head of prisons dismissed and Guatemalans threatening to protest.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
More than 9,000 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons, according to data published by HaMoked, an Israeli human rights organization.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Projects engage critical questions of ecology, migration, identity, religion, and architecture, and excavate both metaphorical and literal prisons.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
Barghouti’s family alleges that he has been beaten by guards in Israel's prisons, which are under the control of Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Netanyahu's coalition.
—Karl Vick, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
For those people who The Observer confirmed were arrested in North Carolina during both periods, more than half were arrested straight from county jails and state or federal prisons.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2025
Jerí's plan involves slotting the military into the police in key areas, such as prisons and markets lining the streets, Solar said.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The agency is instead holding people in jails, prisons or tent encampments – the first and largest on the Fort Bliss military base in Texas – before deporting them.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
The revelation immediately erupted into a political crisis, with the head of prisons dismissed and Guatemalans threatening to protest.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
More than 9,000 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons, according to data published by HaMoked, an Israeli human rights organization.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisons
Noun
-
Nine people died in San Diego County jails last year, the lowest number in years.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
-
While North Carolina is responsible for juvenile jails, Lassiter has argued that Charlotte saw benefits when the sheriff’s office ran one.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The incarcerations have been part of Bukele’s controversial efforts to stem the high crime rates and gang violence that have plagued the country for years.—
Michael Rios,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2025
-
The Body Politic uplifts Baltimore’s relative success in decreasing the city’s homicide and violent crime rate while not increasing incarcerations or the rate of citizen-police interactions.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes,
3 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Prisons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisons. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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