incarcerate

verb

in-ˈkär-sə-ˌrāt How to pronounce incarcerate (audio)
Definition of incarceratenext
as in to imprison
to put in or as if in prison the state incarcerated over 1900 people last year

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 incarcerate Another study published in the National Library of Medicine found that hotter days mean more deaths from such things as heart disease and suicide — including among people who had been incarcerated for less than a year and those who were 65 or older. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026 Now 50, Pike has been incarcerated since 1995 for the murder that year of her former classmate, Colleen Slemmer. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 Her biological father had been an inconsistent presence, and her mother was incarcerated. — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Nguyen has said one of her priorities in office is to protect and expand services for low-income, immigrant, formerly incarcerated and other vulnerable populations. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incarcerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incarcerate
  1. imprison
  2. jail
Verb
  • The revolution has been crushed, tens of thousands remain imprisoned, and economic hardship has broken the backs of Egyptians.
    — Abdelrahman ElGendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of imprison
Verb
  • But unlike other Floridians of Cuban descent — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio — Valdes ended up defending Cuba’s socialist revolutionaries and officials who have killed, jailed, tortured, and censored numerous political enemies.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The hanged man, John Morgan, had been jailed, tried for murder, and convicted, before escaping jail, getting apprehended, and being executed—all in ten days, Mellinger said.
    — Oliver Whang, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of jail

Browse Nearby Words

incapacity
incarcerate
incarcerated
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Cite this Entry

“Incarcerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incarcerate. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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