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 Yesterday’s pangram was jailbird. New York Times, 16 Feb. 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 Some kids get stuck with jailbirds. Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024 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 When Canton jailbird selectman Chris Albert did six months in prison in 1994 for a hit-and-run homicide, who was his lawyer? A. Judge Auntie Bev B. Meatball Morrissey C. Auntie Bev’s brother D. Adam Lally 2. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 14 July 2024 Plot: Homer acquires Snake’s luxurious hair after the jailbird is sent to the electric chair. Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024 Movies Review: ‘Joker: Folie á Deux’ pairs two singing jailbirds but skimps on supervillainy Oct. 4, 2024 The movie was expected to fall short of the original’s impressive debut after generating only $7 million in Thursday previews. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jailbird
Noun
  • Wang had held numerous talks with Waltz’s predecessor, Jake Sullivan, including an exchange that led to a rare prisoner swap.
    Beijing and Washington Bureaus, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
  • While in jail, Dean bonds with Zoro, a grim and mysterious teenage prisoner serving time for murder.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • After years of litigation, the state executed its first death row inmate in 13 years, opening the door for Bixby's execution.
    Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • According to inmate records, his bail amount was $20,000.
    Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Biden also commuted sentences for 37 of 40 convicts on death row in federal prisons, which was largely a policy statement against capital punishment.
    Ron Faucheux, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Other convicts to turn their lives around athletically include 2010 American League MVP Josh Hamilton and former MLB reliever Matt Bush.
    Ryan Morik, Fox News, 2 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • What are the pros and cons of filing for a tax extension, according to experts?
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 12 Apr. 2025
  • What are the pros and cons of a smart fridge in a home?
    Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 11 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Jailbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jailbird. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

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