dungeon

noun

Definition of dungeonnext
as in jail
a dark underground space in a castle used for keeping prisoners The king threw them into the dungeon.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 dungeon Refusing to surrender, Murashige has Kanbei thrown into a dungeon—a breach of the samurai code of honor, Kanbei protests, insisting on being either released or executed. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 In response, the leader of Arioka orders Kanbei be thrown in the castle’s impeccably dingy dungeon. — Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 Naturally, there’s a sort of torture dungeon on the premises, which for the time being his guests are mercifully unaware of. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 28 July 2026 Gregory Scharpen’s soundscapes are particularly nuanced in a dungeon scene and with rioters outside the palace walls. — Charles Lewis Iii, Mercury News, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dungeon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dungeon
  1. jail
  2. prison
  3. cage
  4. brig
  5. tank
  6. penitentiary
  7. coop
Noun
  • He was given an option to bypass jail by paying a $250 fine and providing the filings within a week.
    — Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Castro was released from a Texas jail last week after a judge declined to order his return to Minnesota.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of jail
Noun
  • The jury did convict Rosado of driving under the influence and he was sentenced to five years in prison, but Rosado has been behind bars on a $2 million bail since 2021 so won't have to serve any additional time.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Over the course of Exile, one of Loktev’s subjects is poisoned; another receives a five-year prison sentence in absentia.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of prison
Noun
  • Metal cages enclose the ends of the tube to prevent beavers from chewing or destroying them.
    — Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • After descending in a metal cage elevator, Riff Raff removes his cape, revealing Frank-N-Furter in a corset, fishnets and pearls.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of cage
Noun
  • Cruise ships have brigs – or onboard jails – where they may be held, or they could be confined to their cabins, The Points Guy reported.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 15 July 2026
  • Word around baseball is all the losing has turned the Mets clubhouse, which has already been fractured these past couple years, into a joyless brig.
    — Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Definition of brig
Noun
  • Shawn Ryan is neither an engineer nor a professional cyclist, just someone who wanted to know how far an electric-assist bicycle can go when the sun is its only fuel tank.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Reports indicate over 1,500 FPV drones are launched daily near Druzhkivka, and some tank battalions are being re-aligned into drone-assault formations.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of tank
Noun
  • Beginning in 1908, after federal prisons opened in Atlanta, Georgia, and Leavenworth, Kansas, most federal prisoners were sent to these new federal prisons, and cells began to empty at the West Virginia state penitentiary.
    — Ella Siegrist, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Recent spike in inmate deaths at the penitentiary In fiscal year 2025 – July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025 – the DOC reported 19 deaths within its annual report, the most in a decade.
    — TJ Rhodes, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of penitentiary
Noun
  • Kept in coops throughout the region, the birds are routinely tested for viruses.
    — Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Outside, the lush grounds host a 55-foot pool with a spillover spa, a kitchen and bar barbecue setup, a meditation garden with an infrared sauna, a stream, and a chicken—or peacock—coop.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of coop

Browse Nearby Words

dung
dungeon
dungeons
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dungeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dungeon. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All