as in rulings
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in condemns
to impose a judicial punishment on
the judge sentenced him to a fine of $50 and time served
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sentences
Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
In his appeal, Francis argued that he was unjustly sentenced to a longer prison term than any of his co-defendants despite federal rules meant to limit large disparities when judges issue sentences in multi-defendant cases.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
If convicted, the new charges expose them to potential maximum sentences of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
In a plea agreement with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Mackey was sentenced two 11-year sentences for murder, to run consecutively, while Nieves was handed one 11-year sentence.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
If someone is injured or a deadly weapon is involved, the charge can escalate to a felony with the potential for much longer prison sentences.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Jan. 2026
The intent was not to create a new defense, but to allow courts to revisit sentences when abuse played a meaningful role in the offense.
—Stephen Martin, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Jan. 2026
Uthmeier framed the prosecution as part of Florida’s tough-on-crime approach, including long prison sentences for violent offenders.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Both were sentenced on Tuesday to 78 months to be added to their current sentences.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2026
CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
Hers is prose in which sentences judder and disintegrate and run over each other.
—Book Marks
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
The defendants' sentences were reduced because they were abused by the victims, in accordance with the New York Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, legislation that Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney criticized.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
In his appeal, Francis argued that he was unjustly sentenced to a longer prison term than any of his co-defendants despite federal rules meant to limit large disparities when judges issue sentences in multi-defendant cases.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
If convicted, the new charges expose them to potential maximum sentences of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
In a plea agreement with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Mackey was sentenced two 11-year sentences for murder, to run consecutively, while Nieves was handed one 11-year sentence.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
If someone is injured or a deadly weapon is involved, the charge can escalate to a felony with the potential for much longer prison sentences.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Jan. 2026
The intent was not to create a new defense, but to allow courts to revisit sentences when abuse played a meaningful role in the offense.
—Stephen Martin, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Jan. 2026
Uthmeier framed the prosecution as part of Florida’s tough-on-crime approach, including long prison sentences for violent offenders.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Both were sentenced on Tuesday to 78 months to be added to their current sentences.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
Williams was able to petition for resentencing due to a law enacted in 2011 that allowed judges to give juvenile offenders with life without parole sentences a chance to be resentenced.
—CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
Hers is prose in which sentences judder and disintegrate and run over each other.
—Book Marks
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentences
Noun
-
The township is arguing that state law regarding government employee protections against lawsuits conflicts with federal court rulings.—
Laura A. Bischoff,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The appellate panel denied the Oppermans’ appeal, making some important rulings that provide guidance to all California HOAs.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By contrast, Eugenia condemns herself to a future of festering tension and fury.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
The Atlantic,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The government condemns the reprehensible attack on innocent students and the killing of school officials who were carrying out their noble duty.—
Ashley Carnahan , Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
18 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The findings reveal a mix of familiar favorites in the States along with international escapes.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The findings show that seven in 10 people with cancer now survive for at least five years, up from just half of patients in the 1970s.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The ice punishes the slightest miscalculations, demands the sharpest of focus.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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The scene came in a fictional segment parodying Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead in which Maggie defends her architectural talents after her daycare teacher punishes her for making beautiful structures from building blocks.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Their verdicts shape borrowing costs and, in some cases, whether countries can raise capital for education, health, and infrastructure.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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But the Florida Supreme Court in 2017 ruled the new law was unconstitutional, saying jury verdicts needed to be unanimous.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Chief among its villains is Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil, a master manipulator who takes advantage of her former lover Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont’s resurgent desire for her with a wager that ultimately dooms them both.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
28 Nov. 2025
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Without that sense of desperate loneliness, what dooms Frankenstein and the Creature to their deaths?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sentences.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentences. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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