PENS Synonyms: 197 Similar and Opposite Words

pens 1 of 5

noun (1)

plural of pen

as in jails

a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody earned six years in a federal pen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

outsides

pens

2 of 5

noun (2)

plural of pen

as in cages

an enclosure with an open framework for keeping animals a goat pen

Synonyms & Similar Words

pens

3 of 5

noun (3)

plural of pen

as in writers

a person who creates a written work Alexander Hamilton is reckoned to be the pseudonymous pen behind two thirds of the Federalist Papers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nonauthors

pens

4 of 5

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of pen

as in houses

to close or shut in by or as if by barriers remember to pen up the dogs when visitors come over

Synonyms & Similar Words

pens

5 of 5

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of pen

as in writes

to compose and set down on paper the words of though relatively unknown at the time of his death, the composer had penned some of the most memorable show tunes of his era

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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 pens

Noun

Last week, biologists opened pens and freed two birds early, worried they might be killed. — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 Debra Kissen, clinical director of Light On Anxiety in Chicago, told Today that discreet fidgeting is more socially acceptable than clicking pens or spinning gadgets. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026 The state is no longer collecting sales tax on nonelectronic school supplies, which includes a long list of items like paper, notebooks, binder, pens, pencils and markers, rules and protractors, glue, highlighters, index cards and scissors. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026 On stocks two boxes of long-acting insulin pens from California’s new prescription drug label, CalRx, emblazoned with the state’s iconic grizzly bear. — Angela Hart — Kff Health News, STAT, 13 Aug. 2026 The Grand and Reserve Champion Rabbit Meat pens, Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Market Turkey and Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Chicken Meat pens had been awarded the previous weekend. — Stephanie Ogilvie, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026 The dogs were kept on heavy chains or in overcrowded crates and makeshift pens surrounded by waste, prosecutors said. — Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 Classes will cover fine art materials with specific brands of watercolors, pens, and paints, as well as special techniques. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2026 That is why companies are moving to special pens to make injecting prescription GLP-1s and insulin less complex for untrained people. — C. Michael White, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026

Verb

This week, Gracie Abrams pens a tearjerker on mother-daughter relationships, Steve Lacy escapes the abyss of a breakup on a colossal double track, and Beabadoobee contemplates risk and reward on a fuzzy new single. — Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026 Sarah Rothschild pens the screenplay with Elizabeth Cantillon producing. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2026 Amazon moved fast to board the project and the film will now be a big priority at the studio as Loeb pens the script. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026 Yousafzai pens a portrait of a young woman discovering her identity amid immense pressure. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025 The series kicks off when Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), a member of a powerful Oklahoma family, pens a suicide note, hides it inside a book on his shelves, and then shoots himself in the head. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025 The plot kicks off when the Reverend Mother (a delightful Olivia Colman), who runs the Home for Retired Bears, pens a dire message to Paddington about his beloved Aunt Lucy. — Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pens

Noun

In fact, a number of those heading into a sentencing hearing are coming from surrounding county jails that have been holding them for many months.

— Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
The crimes homeless people will get charged for are not the ones that will keep them in the county’s already overcrowded jails, Lefkowitz said.

— Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of jails

Noun

And former Conan writers did a rewatch pod in honor of Conan O’Brien’s 20th year in late night.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2026
Neither group showed higher-than-normal death rates from cancers that aren’t tied to radiation exposure, noted the commentary writers, Catherine Olsen and Ken Karipidis.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of writers

Verb

Lynne Sladky The nearly 10,000-square-foot (900 square meters) Jellyfish Museum houses roughly 20 unique species of jellyfish found in Florida waters and other parts of the world.

— CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Bass has applied for preliminary permits to build a two-floor, 3,000-square-foot office and rental center on the northwest side of the property, which now houses a pumphouse.

— Mark Dee August 18, Idaho Statesman, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of houses

Verb

The filming of the DAU project in Ukraine, writes Khrzhanovsky, took place before the Russian invasion of the country.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026
But as Fortune's Sebastian Herrera writes, the announcement signals that Amazon is still serious about making Bezos' drone dream a reality.

— Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of writes

Noun

The fights, and tax policy, confronting local governments Governments, school systems, prisons, and police and fire departments often are among the largest employers in communities and have high rates of unionization.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026
Crews now runs all three of Tennessee’s highest-security youth prisons.

— Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of prisons

Noun

Melissa Knicely, a public information officer with Animal Care and Control, said permitting has increased over the past decade as more residents seek fresh eggs and set up coops at home.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 19 June 2026
Moving through rooftop coops, city streets, and a mosaic of New York voices, the film invites us to reconsider the pigeon, soften our gaze, and recognize that coexistence is an act of choice.

— Peter White, Deadline, 19 June 2026

Definition of coops

Noun

Still, the authors specifically caution that gestational hypertension is probably underreported because health conditions are often underreported on birth certificates.

— Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
In a common legislative maneuver, the authors expected to gut the existing language, amend it to reflect the deal to adjust the tax credit cap, then pass it out of the Assembly and send it back to the Senate for a concurrence.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of authors

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pens

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Style

“Pens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pens. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of pens

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noun (3)

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