imprison

verb

im-ˈpri-zᵊn How to pronounce imprison (audio)
Definition of imprisonnext
as in to jail
to put in or as if in prison in this society, we try to imprison criminals so that they can't do any more harm

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 imprison The Other Side of the Sun is based on the experiences of its director Sabouni, who was imprisoned there, as well as four other former inmates who survived. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026 Jarquín was imprisoned for nine months, and later told journalists and human rights investigators that guards burned his genitals with cigarette butts. — Ismael López, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Once imprisoned on corruption charges, Lula was freed by the nation's Supreme Court and then defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in a heated 2022 election by a razor-thin margin. — David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Pike, who was 18 at the time of the murder, has been imprisoned for more than 30 years and would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years. — Violet Jira, Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for imprison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imprison
  1. jail
  2. incarcerate
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
Definition of jail
Verb
  • Maintaining deep connections while incarcerated can be a real struggle sometimes.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In this case, Andrew Luster received 977 days of pre-sentence credit and was eligible for credit-earning opportunities while incarcerated.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of incarcerate

Browse Nearby Words

imprints
imprison
imprisoned
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Cite this Entry

“Imprison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imprison. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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