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.

Kornev’s tragedy is that, while he may not be behind bars, he can’t see the prison he’s trapped in.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

He spent more than a year behind bars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

The judge explained Bennett would serve at least two-thirds of his 30-year sentence behind bars.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

"We have a history of brilliant law enforcement cooperation to put the criminal smuggling gangs where they belong – behind bars," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

After months behind bars, it didn’t look as though Bobby could emotionally survive for much longer.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady