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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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sentence

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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
And Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2026 Kirchner has been under house arrest since 2025, following a six-year prison sentence for corruption. ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
Skinner was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, while Wearry was sentenced to death. Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 Bernice and Gerald Byrd are set to be sentenced in June after their child, Zona Byrd, was found emaciated and malnourished in her bed. Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sentence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentence
Noun
  • That motion is pending a ruling.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Apr. 2026
  • However, even if the NCPC approves the plan, the project can’t move forward due to Leon’s ruling.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Although Ukrainian forces intercepted roughly 90% of the incoming drones, Zelenskyy condemned the bombardment as Russia's direct response to Ukraine's proposal for an Easter ceasefire.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The statement did not condemn the kidnapping or express concern.
    NPR Staff, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Later on Wednesday, the jury came back and agreed on the verdict.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
  • These verdicts are consequential for the damages awarded and what the evidence reveals about intent.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Moderate exercise helps, but high-intensity overtraining can raise cortisol further, worth knowing if punishing workouts are already part of a stressed routine.
    Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
  • On Wednesday morning, that tally stood at a hefty seven hundred and thirty-four, with cases ranging from the President’s immigration policies to his dismantling of disfavored agencies to his effort to punish law firms to his ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Nationals tagged him for five runs in the fourth, and the Cubs’ lack of timely hits off starter Cade Cavalli and the Nationals bullpen doomed them in a 10-4 loss.
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
  • All but doomed by six quick runs, the Padres lost 8-2.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentence. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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