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
Deihl, who has worked in Michigan prisons for 15 years, says staffing shortages are creating increasingly unsafe conditions for officers.
—
Lauren Winfrey, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
The ratio of officers to inmates at state prisons is still too low.
—Adam Beam, AJC.com, 20 Mar. 2026
People in Minnesota prisons usually serve two-thirds of their sentence in custody and the remaining one-third on supervised release.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 18 Mar. 2026
Removing hope from the system turns our prisons into dungeons and does not ultimately serve public safety.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Such shooters will find their next destination to be our jails and prisons.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 15 Mar. 2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the announcement, while human-rights groups accused the military of ignoring one of the gravest instances of abuse in the country's network of wartime prisons.
—Julia Frankel The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
That contract lapsed after then-President Joe Biden issued an executive order barring the Department of Justice from contracting with private prisons.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
In Dumas’ work, fights and duels and brave assaults on prisons are done grandly, out in the open.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
Lauren Winfrey, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
The ratio of officers to inmates at state prisons is still too low.
—Adam Beam, AJC.com, 20 Mar. 2026
People in Minnesota prisons usually serve two-thirds of their sentence in custody and the remaining one-third on supervised release.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 18 Mar. 2026
Removing hope from the system turns our prisons into dungeons and does not ultimately serve public safety.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Such shooters will find their next destination to be our jails and prisons.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 15 Mar. 2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the announcement, while human-rights groups accused the military of ignoring one of the gravest instances of abuse in the country's network of wartime prisons.
—Julia Frankel The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
That contract lapsed after then-President Joe Biden issued an executive order barring the Department of Justice from contracting with private prisons.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
In Dumas’ work, fights and duels and brave assaults on prisons are done grandly, out in the open.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisons
Noun
-
Like jails across the country, staffing shortages have persisted under Sheriff Brown’s tenure, and the department spent more than $73 million on overtime for employees over the past three years.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Sheriff Robert Luna has asked the National Institute of Corrections to examine conditions and practices at Los Angeles County jails, a request made after 10 inmates died in jail custody in less than three months.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 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 24 Mar. 2026.
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