jailbird

noun

ˈjāl-ˌbərd How to pronounce jailbird (audio)
Definition of jailbirdnext
as in prisoner
a person convicted as a criminal and serving a prison sentence had spent most of his sorry life as a jailbird in hoosegows across the South

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 jailbird But these jailbirds aren’t using their own fingers to fire off missives or create clones. — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026 And these seven crooked cops are just the tip of the MSP jailbird iceberg. — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 17 Jan. 2026 At no point has the jailbird shown contrition for her crimes. — Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025 Becomes a jailbird at a high-security zoo after he’s caught, with the newest Wallace & Gromit film, Vengeance Most Fowl, finding Feathers, all these years later, hell-bent on getting even with the duo who locked him up. — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for jailbird
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jailbird
  1. prisoner
  2. inmate
  3. convict
  4. con
Noun
  • Constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment prohibit deliberate indifference to prisoners’ medical needs.
    — Jaquelyn Jahn, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Offering the Black Panther salute in tribute to the six Black prisoners found dead at Attica Prison, during the funeral held in Brooklyn.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of prisoner
Noun
  • The Sheriff’s Office did not provide further information in the video and news release about the inmate’s tip.
    — Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Fewer than half of the 170,000 inmates released from California prisons between 2015 and 2019 found jobs, and many of those jobs were temporary, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
    — Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of inmate
Noun
  • After a career spent playing convicts and criminals, the opportunity was appealing to Trejo.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026
  • One of the men, the leader, held up the convict’s hand and wheeled around to show it off.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of convict
Noun
  • Running errands and a real estate con What follows comes from the referee’s report and the probable cause affidavits after Morin and Corcoran’s arrests.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Spanning two continents, the show — based on an incredible true story — delves into what happens when what begins as a simple con turns into one of the largest cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes in history.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of con

Browse Nearby Words

jail
jailbird
jailbirds
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Cite this Entry

“Jailbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jailbird. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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