JAIL Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

jail 1 of 2

noun

ˈjāl

Definition of jail

as in prison

a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody sentenced to three years in jail for his crime

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

outside

jail

2 of 2

verb

as in to imprison

to put in or as if in prison threatened to jail the punks if they so much as jaywalked

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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 jail

Noun

Due to various medical conditions, McNeal was assigned upon booking to the jail’s medical observation area, according to the sheriff’s office. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026 The suit alleges that the jail repeatedly fed inmates food containing mice and insects. — Liam Scott, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026

Verb

Americans in the nation's early days could be jailed for failing to repay debts — and some argue that debtors' prisons persist. — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 Davis anti-transgender activist and school board candidate Beth Bourne was briefly jailed on trespassing charges Tuesday after her arrest outside a Sonoma high school, the Sonoma newspaper reported. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for jail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jail

Noun

Three once high-flying brothers convicted of exploiting their wealth and access to luxury real estate to drug and rape dozens of women were sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in prison.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
Prosecutors had asked Caproni to sentence each brother to life in prison, while their attorneys sought the 15-year minimum.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of prison

Verb

Hubbard, 74, was imprisoned on what the State Department called false charges of fighting for Ukraine; fellow prisoners said he was tortured for being American.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026
Barker makes the violation literal when Bear has sex with Nikki after discovering that his wish has effectively imprisoned her inside her own body.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of imprison

Noun

Beyond the towering brick walls of the Tarrant County Jail, and every other county jail and state penitentiary in the country, lies an out-of-sight-out-of-mind world that most never see, let alone experience.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Mexico has 276 prisons, including 14 federal penitentiaries and 249 state prisons.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of penitentiary

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jags

jail

jailbird

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“Jail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jail. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of jail

noun

verb

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