| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | have in one's hands, possession; grasp |
| Synonyms: | adhere, arrest, bind, bottle up, carry, catch, check, cherish, clasp, cleave, clench, clinch, cling, clutch, confine, contain, cork up, cradle, detain, embrace, enclose, enjoy, fondle, freeze to, grip, handle, hang on, have, hug, imprison, keep, keep close, keep out, lock up, maintain, not let go, nourish, occupy, own, palm, possess, press, put a lock on, restrain, retain, secure, seize, squeeze, stay put, stick, take, trammel, vise, wield, withhold, wring |
| Antonyms: | drop, let go, release |
| Main Entry: | incarcerate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | put in jail, confinement |
| Synonyms: | bastille, book*, cage*, commit, confine, constrain, coop up, detain, hold, immure, impound, imprison, intern, jail, lock up, put away, put on ice, put under lock and key, railroad, restrain, restrict, send up the river, settle, slough, take away, throw book at |
| Antonyms: | free, let go, release |
| Main Entry: | jail |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | incarcerate |
| Synonyms: | bastille, book, cage, can*, confine, constrain, detain, hold, immure, impound, imprison, lock up, prison, put away, put behind bars, put on ice, railroad, send up, sentence, take away*, throw away the keys, throw in dungeon, throw the book at |
| Notes: | a jail is a short-term detention facility for those awaiting trial or convicted of minor offenses; a prison or penitentiary is a long-term detention facility for those convicted of major offenses |
| Antonyms: | free, liberate |
| Main Entry: | restrain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | keep under control; hold back |
| Synonyms: | arrest, bind, bottle up, box up, bridle, chain, check, choke back, circumscribe, confine, constrain, contain, control, cool*, cork, crack down, curb, curtail, debar, delimit, detain, deter, direct, fetter, gag, govern, guide, hamper, handicap, harness, hem in, hinder, hogtie, hold, impound, imprison, inhibit, jail, keep, keep down, keep in line, kill*, limit, lock up, manacle, muzzle, pinion, prevent, proscribe, pull back, repress, restrict, sit on, stay, subdue, suppress, tie down, tie up |
| Notes: | refrain means to choose not to do something or partake of something; restrain means to immobilize by force or to forbid an action |
| Antonyms: | free, liberate, release |
| Main Entry: | sentence |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | decide punishment |
| Synonyms: | adjudge, adjudicate, blame, condemn, confine, convict, damn, denounce, devote, doom, impound, imprison, incarcerate, jail, judge, mete out, ordain, pass judgment, penalize, proscribe, punish, put away, put on ice, railroad, rule, send to prison, send up the river, settle, take the fall, throw the book at |
| Antonyms: | accuse, blame, charge |
| Main Entry: | shut |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | close |
| Synonyms: | bar, batten down, cage, close down, close up, confine, draw, drop the curtain, enclose, exclude, fasten, fold, fold up, imprison, lock, push, put to, seal, secure, shut down, slam, wall off |
| Antonyms: | open |
| Main Entry: | immure |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | confine |
| Synonyms: | cloister, coop, entomb, imprison, incarcerate, jail, seclude, wall |
| Main Entry: | mew |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | enclose |
| Synonyms: | block off, blockade, bound, box up, cage, circle, circumscribe, close in, confine, coop, corral, cover, encase, encircle, encompass, enfold, enshroud, environ, fence, fence off, hedge, hem in, imbue, immure, implant, impound, imprison, include, induct, insert, intern, jail, limit, lock in, lock up, mure, pen, restrict, set apart, shut in, shut up, veil, wall, wall in, wrap |