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
Then there’s assistance with the finances of prisoners, and vocational education in prisons, and work placement.
—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
During research, the filmmakers visited prisons and discovered that 77% of inmates are accused of crimes and held in prison, but their cases take years to come to trial or sometimes never do.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
William Hall, 6th Ward, took a shot at the governor over the Pritzker administration’s ongoing plans to rebuild two Illinois prisons.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Royce Casey and Jacob Delashmutt, both 47, were both released from California prisons within weeks of one another after serving 28 years for the murder of 15-year-old Elyse Pahler.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Most recently, conditions inside El Salvador’s prisons have drawn scrutiny from abroad, including the United States.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
The Lifetime show documents their family's journey from the couple being in jail on tax evasion and other charges, their pardon, their release from their respective prisons in Florida and Kentucky, and their return home to Tennessee.
—Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 1 Sep. 2025
The center can then compare it against other databases of photos, including booking mug shots from jails and prisons, Michigan driver's licenses and other photo sets.
—John Wisely, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The gang federation was responsible for coordinating a series of large-scale attacks early last year that included raids on Haiti’s two biggest prisons that led to the release of some 4,000 inmates.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2025
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
During research, the filmmakers visited prisons and discovered that 77% of inmates are accused of crimes and held in prison, but their cases take years to come to trial or sometimes never do.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
William Hall, 6th Ward, took a shot at the governor over the Pritzker administration’s ongoing plans to rebuild two Illinois prisons.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Royce Casey and Jacob Delashmutt, both 47, were both released from California prisons within weeks of one another after serving 28 years for the murder of 15-year-old Elyse Pahler.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Most recently, conditions inside El Salvador’s prisons have drawn scrutiny from abroad, including the United States.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
The Lifetime show documents their family's journey from the couple being in jail on tax evasion and other charges, their pardon, their release from their respective prisons in Florida and Kentucky, and their return home to Tennessee.
—Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 1 Sep. 2025
The center can then compare it against other databases of photos, including booking mug shots from jails and prisons, Michigan driver's licenses and other photo sets.
—John Wisely, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The gang federation was responsible for coordinating a series of large-scale attacks early last year that included raids on Haiti’s two biggest prisons that led to the release of some 4,000 inmates.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisons
Noun
-
The many thousands of Palestinians (including children) held hostage in Israeli jails and internment camps are, of course, not a consideration whatsoever.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The Idaho State Police doesn’t have any jails.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Sep. 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
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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 9 Sep. 2025.
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