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.

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

Under that plea deal, Gutierrez was poised to avoid spending time behind bars.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

In an interview with CBS last year, Curran said he told Trump he was prepared to go behind bars with him.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 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

So far, Suzanne Braden reports, poaching has been nearly eliminated—thanks to extreme penalties that can include up to ten years behind bars.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh