imprison

[im-priz-uhn] / ɪmˈprɪz ən /

VERB

confine; put in jail

Synonyms

STRONGEST

apprehend commit detain hold incarcerate jail lock up remand

STRONG

cage check circumscribe closet constrain curb ice immure impound intern keep limit nab occlude pen restrain stockade trammel

WEAK

bastille bottle up fence in hold captive hold hostage hold in custody keep captive keep in custody lock in put away put behind bars rail in send to prison send up shut in take prisoner

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cease free let go liberate release stop

STRONG

aid allow assist help permit

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.

I patiently explained that neither law clerks nor justices get to imprison people sua sponte.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

Mitsotakis, who notes the fraud began before he came to power in 2019, has vowed to imprison the "thieves" responsible and to reclaim the funds.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“It’s despicable to imprison a person for exercising their 1st Amendment rights,” McBroom said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

In America, we don’t imprison people for violating rules that were never written.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

It would be for her a well-spring from which she would draw the most destructive emotions, deceiving the lover and seeking to imprison the beloved, curtailing freedom in every way.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

Vocabulary lists containing imprison

Schooled

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"The New Colossus"

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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