behind bars

VERB

serving jail time

Synonyms

WEAK

confined imprisoned in jail in prison incarcerated jailed put away serving time under lock and key

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some jurors teared up over the possibility of the young men spending decades behind bars.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

The difference shapes how much time Sharifullah could spend behind bars — the more serious charge was eligible for a life sentence.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

Rodriguez, who served as Maduro's vice president, has also pushed through an amnesty law that led to the release of hundreds of political prisoners, though some 500 remain behind bars.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

And yet is it in the interest of justice to hold behind bars a person who’s not the same one who was sentenced?

From Slate • May 2, 2026

Thorarinsson said that Fischer, locked behind bars, reminded him of Hamlet, and then he quoted a line from Shakespeare’s play:

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady