sentences 1 of 2

plural of sentence
as in rulings
a decision made by a court or tribunal regarding a case it has heard he received a light sentence because it was his first offense and he was an otherwise upstanding citizen

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sentences

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sentence

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 sentences
Noun
These fines would exist alongside any criminal convictions and sentences that are applied to individuals. Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Mecklenburg County judges repeatedly sentenced him to time served in jail or suspended his sentences for probation, court records show. Charlotte Observer, 17 Aug. 2026 The sentences will be served without the possibility of parole. Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026 How much more tactile are these sentences than any of Cusk’s writing about M, much less about I! Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 Murdaugh separately pleaded guilty to dozens of financial crimes and is serving concurrent state and federal sentences of 27 and 40 years. Devon M. Sayers, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 Plus a few other wackadoodles banished from labels, serving out their sentences in our nuthouse. Jeff Rabhan, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 Murdaugh remains imprisoned on separate state and federal financial-crime sentences. Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026 The judge also notified him of the possibility of consecutive sentences if the state case goes ahead and he’s found guilty. Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
Courts have upheld both inmates’ sentences Duckett and Occhicone were both convicted by juries, and appellate courts have denied multiple attempts to overturn their death sentences – although Duckett has maintained his innocence. Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 26 July 2026 The founder's name anchors sentences about the company's achievements. Joseph Byrum, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 On March 30, a Paris court convicts Le Pen and other National Rally officials of misusing European Parliament funds, sentences her to prison and bars her from seeking public office for five years with immediate effect. ABC News, 6 July 2026 A student can ask what claim the file appears to make, where the evidence is thin, which sentences sound inflated, and which lines could have been written by almost any strong applicant. Gerald Bradshaw, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026 Charming sentences to find in a book by the sitting vice president of the United States! Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026 The case now goes to a hearing scheduled for June 1, where his attorneys will be allowed to argue his life be spared before Munyon formally sentences him. Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026 Her sentences themselves have a cartilaginous magic. Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026 Despite the wholesale change in how California sentences juvenile offenders, outrage over the crime has not faded. Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentences
Noun
  • Unlike in civil court proceedings, DOAH rulings are merely recommendations to state and local government agencies, which do not have to abide by the decisions.
    Ana Goñi-Lessan, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Yet Jeanie’s attorney, Adam Streisand of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton Law, argued in the letter sent to her siblings’ attorneys that two previous legal rulings render that strategy improper.
    Sam Amick, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The outlaw country legend issued a rallying cry across his social media channels on Tuesday, sharing a statement that condemns rapidly escalating data center construction across the United States.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026
  • The Illinois Nurses Association strongly condemns Prime’s attempts to permanently close the unit, said Kaitlynd French, who was previously a nurse at the hospital and now works as the union’s staff representative for the nurses there.
    Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • And while her office brought its findings to the Illinois State Police and Cook County state’s attorney, a spokesperson said, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke declined to immediately bring charges.
    Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The latest findings indicated the vest could reduce an astronaut’s radiation dose by about 60% in a solar storm as fierce as the one in 1972 and by nearly 40% in a calamity mirroring 1989.
    Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Alex Williamson is a mom in the district who thinks that the new policy is too broad and punishes the kids who ride their e-bikes safely.
    Michele Gile, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Sehnaoui's meeting with the Israeli leader occurred as some in Lebanon have called for abolishing a 1955 law that bans dealing with Israel or having contacts with Israelis and punishes offenders with up to 10 years in jail.
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Noun
  • Recent verdicts raise the stakes The Oakland case follows two major courtroom losses for Meta earlier this year.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Our book lists, after all, aren’t meant to be final verdicts.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Fans continue to ask Carney about Hadestown’s climactic moment, when Orpheus dooms Eurydice forever by turning to look at her on the road back from hell.
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
  • This dooms the kingdom to the tyrannical rule of the villainous Priscilla (Nikki Glaser), who swoops in and snatches the throne.
    Kevin Giraud, Variety, 23 June 2026

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“Sentences.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentences. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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