BEHIND BARS Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

behind bars

phrase

Definition of behind bars

as in imprisoned

taken and held prisoner The con artist was behind bars for printing fake checks.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of behind bars Cuevas faces a maximum sentence of seven years and eight months behind bars if convicted as charged. — Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 In 2021, Hickerson pleaded notcontest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse/cohabitant/coparent and spent time behind bars. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026 But key opposition figures remain outside the process, many political prisoners remain behind bars or under restrictions, and some of the most consequential questions, including electoral reform, have yet to be addressed. — Catherine Ellis, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026 In December 2025, he was placed in pretrial detention on the new charges and has been behind bars ever since. — CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for behind bars

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behind

behind bars

behindhand

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“Behind bars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behind%20bars. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of behind bars

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