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Definition of sentencenext
as in ruling
a decision made by a court or tribunal regarding a case it has heard he received a light sentence because it was his first offense and he was an otherwise upstanding citizen

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verb

as in to condemn
to impose a judicial punishment on the judge sentenced him to a fine of $50 and time served

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sentence
Noun
In January 2026, a Marion County judge rejected Pender's request to modify her sentence so she could be released. Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026 Scott sentenced him to three and 15 years, respectively, for battery charges in those cases, which will be served concurrently with his murder sentence. Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
They were sentenced to 10 years in prison. Dave Altimari, Hartford Courant, 16 Feb. 2026 They were each sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison. Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sentence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentence
Noun
  • Yoon, who can appeal the ruling, had denied the insurrection charge, saying his imposition of martial law was meant to alert the public to paralysing political gridlock caused by the opposition party’s majority in the National Assembly and its impeachment of several senior officials.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
  • After losing similar cases, the decision to tap Kelesis indicates the White House does not expect a ruling in Chattah's favor.
    JESSICA HILL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Yoon’s shocking declaration revived dark memories of the country’s authoritarian past, plunged South Korea into a constitutional crisis and was widely condemned as striking at the heart of the nation’s democracy.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sports, Matvii Bidnyi, strongly condemned the decision and said officials from the country would not take part in any Paralympic events, though Ukrainian athletes would still compete.
    Mariia Kashchenko, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The trial, at Innsbruck Regional Court, is expected to last just one day, with a possible verdict by Thursday evening, court officials told CNN.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
  • There were no immediate reports of major clashes following the verdict.
    Kim Tong-Hyung, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • That staunch support takes on extra significance in a hyper-competitive country that often only rewards top winners and punishes those who fall short.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Lofgren said the purpose of the bill is to facilitate quality improvement in the health care system without punishing health care facilities.
    Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Mental mistakes and slow offense doomed the Aggies in a night when two-way player Jordy Frahm dealt 10 strikeouts and swung for four RBIs; A&M left 11 runners on base during the game.
    Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 22 Feb. 2026
  • Years later, as an adult pulled back home by a family wedding, Clara must confront the lingering fallout of that scandal and decide whether she’s doomed to repeat her mother’s mistakes.
    Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentence. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.

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