prisoners

plural of prisoner
as in captives
one that has been taken and held in confinement the prisoners were fed only bread and water twice a day

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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 prisoners Gamblers would bet on the fates of prisoners awaiting execution and of prominent people whose illnesses were reported on in the newspaper. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 As modern prisons proliferated across the nation, major cities exported prisoners to state prisons in less populated areas. Ella Siegrist, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 Filing complaints with the ombudsman is limited only to prisoners or legislators under current law. Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 Amber Gates, the mother of slain inmate Charles Gates, 27, alleges CoreCivic employees failed in their duty to keep prisoners safe. Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 26 Aug. 2026 Or building a detention center for federal prisoners in the middle of the Everglades? Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026 The 2015 action film, set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, stars Theron as warrior Imperator Furiosa, who leads the daring escape of female prisoners from a tyrannical ruler. Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 23 Aug. 2026 The government maintains that under existing rules, prisoners are provided medical treatment in jail and can be transferred to government hospitals when necessary. ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 The government insists that prisoners are provided with proper medical care and sent to hospital if required. Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisoners
captives
Noun
  • In a video widely shared on social media on Monday, a voice threatened to execute the captives if security operations against them continued.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Local authorities did not say how the captives were rescued from the dense, expansive forest of the Kainji Lake National Park.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Prisoners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisoners. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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