sentence 1 of 2

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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sentence

2 of 2

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
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the sentence in October 2025. Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 In a sentencing memorandum, McBee’s attorneys asked for a sentence of supervised release, casting him as a hard-working family man who was the victim of success. Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
In February 2023, Moynihan was sentenced to 21 months in prison on charges including obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony. Pilar Arias, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025 Mark Stoner stepped down as judge in 2024 Stoner was the same judge who drew the ire of Indianapolis' police union in 2024 for sentencing police officer Breann Leath's killer to 25 years in prison rather than 63 requested by prosecutors. Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sentence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentence
Noun
  • Friday’s ruling is a fresh blow to this scheme, which was widely regarded as an effort to increase pressure on Democrats to make concessions.
    James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
  • In another letter, Paoletta told the Department of Transportation to ignore a Government Accountability Office ruling that found that the OMB had illegally impounded money for electric car development.
    Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This comes almost a year after Maccabi supporters were beaten and injured in violent clashes in Amsterdam ahead of a Europa League game against Ajax, which Dutch authorities condemned as antisemitic.
    Amy Woodyatt, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The Minnesota Vikings condemned the vile racist message defensive back Isaiah Rodgers received following the team’s 28-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before delivering the verdict.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
  • He was charged with the deaths of Maggie and Paul on July 14, 2022, sparking a months-long trial that ended with a guilty verdict.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Baird believes that shares of Zions Bancorp have been unduly punished.
    Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The superpowers imposed punishing tariffs on one another earlier this year, only to lower them, and had for months been discussing a trade deal.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Far from being doomed by his polarizing legacy, Republicans are poised to emerge as the party of the sensible center, representing the non-polarized public, while Democrats, mired in anti-Trump fervor, risk alienating the masses with diminished appeal.
    Nafees Alam, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
  • But three false start penalties doomed the offensive drive and Eget’s fourth-and-2 pass to Cooper Boch was broken up by Utah State’s Brevin Hamblin as time expired.
    Aaron Johnson, Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentence. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

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