bastille

noun

ba-ˈstēl How to pronounce bastille (audio)
Definition of bastillenext
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody were amazed by the squalid, cramped quarters in the town's historic bastille

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bastille For his part, Bowie celebrated the election by joining forces with John Barleycorn and evicting the residents of the local bastille. — Robert Kolarik, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Feb. 2018 In these wet, wooden bastilles in New York waters, more Americans died than in all the battles of the Revolutionary War combined. — Benedict Cosgrove, Smithsonian, 13 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastille
  1. jail
  2. prison
  3. penitentiary
Noun
  • The driver of the fleeing vehicle was booked into the Wyandotte County Detention Center, according to the jail’s inmate listing.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
  • Epstein served about 13 months in a Florida jail, and was often permitted to leave the jail on work release.
    — Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of jail
Noun
  • The pair, who were detained in March, had already spent four months in prison prior to the punishment, which ultimately reduced their sentence from 25 lashes to 21, the AP said.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Taylor, 30, now faces a potential sentence of life in prison.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of prison
Noun
  • Two years ago, a judge freed Anthony Bailey after 27 years in the federal penitentiary, giving him a second chance at life.
    — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 23 June 2026
  • After a federal jury voted to convict him in early 2024, Hernández was sent to a notorious high-security penitentiary in West Virginia to serve his time.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 11 June 2026
Definition of penitentiary

Browse Nearby Words

bastes
bastille
bastilles
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Cite this Entry

“Bastille.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastille. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bastille

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bastille

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