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.

Yet there’s a possible deal to be had: China could approve the release of Jimmy Lai, the newspaper publisher and British citizen currently behind bars in Hong Kong.

From The Wall Street Journal

Chow and Lee, who are standing trial after pleading not guilty, have been behind bars since 2021.

From Barron's

But the U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States estimated last week that 1,000 remain behind bars.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the past two weeks, her government has released dozens of political prisoners from among the hundreds behind bars.

From Barron's

Still, despite pressure from Washington, several prominent opposition figures remain behind bars.

From Barron's