as in prisoner
a person convicted as a criminal and serving a prison sentence had spent most of his sorry life as a jailbird in hoosegows across the South

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 jailbird Her jumpsuit is a couture twist on the cartoonish striped getup of a jailbird. Jemal Polson, CNN Money, 8 May 2025 Becomes a jailbird at a high-security zoo after he’s caught, with the newest Wallace & Gromit film, Vengeance Most Fowl, finding Feathers, all these years later, hell-bent on getting even with the duo who locked him up. Devon Ivie, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025 Plot: Homer acquires Snake’s luxurious hair after the jailbird is sent to the electric chair. Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024 Twenty years later, an actress named Selma Vaz Dias, who wanted to dramatize Good Morning, Midnight on the radio, found her living in poverty and obscurity in the English countryside with a third husband who also ended an embezzler and a jailbird. Vivian Gornick, The New Republic, 6 Jan. 2023 The jailbird and guard stayed in touch over the phone, according to Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton. Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 11 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jailbird
Noun
  • New Faces During the show’s original run, the story told of a brave stranger who embarks on a mission to rescue Princess Aani, a prisoner of the Dark Queen.
    Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
  • In 2021, the state passed a law allowing prisoners to choose the firing squad as a method of execution, in addition to the electric chair and lethal injection.
    Chiara Eisner, NPR, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • The brothers have founded a long list of prison programs, with Erik starting at least five, including a support group for disabled and elderly inmates.
    Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 13 May 2025
  • Other duties include providing leadership, training and support to ensure inmates receive proper dental care.
    Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2025
Noun
  • In the next scene, Henry is in prison, wearing yellow convict duds, and our first thought is: How is this dweeb going to survive there for five minutes?
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 May 2025
  • Could the president pardon anyone Boasberg convicts of criminal contempt?
    John E. Jones III, The Conversation, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • But a week after the El Paso music festival, organizers gathered to weigh the pros and the cons of hosting in Chicago, said Nieto Hundreds have commented on the news.
    Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
  • Here’s a look at the pros and cons of eating animal-style.
    Sarah Garone, Health, 7 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Jailbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jailbird. Accessed 17 May. 2025.

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