as in penitentiary
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
earned six years in a federal pen
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as in writer
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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as in to house
to close or shut in by or as if by barriers
remember to pen up the dogs when visitors come over
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as in to write
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
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Recent Examples of pen
Sin To, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
The list included pens, soda cans, a potted cactus, a shovel, books, a BBQ scraper, a game controller and even a roll of paper towels.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 12 July 2025
James Folta, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Siegel’s debut feature Method, penned by Caitlin Parish & Erica Weiss (G20), from an original idea of Siegel’s, is in in development at Amazon MGM Studios.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pen
Noun
When pens set trends Social media is changing the point of sale, in real-time.
—Sin To, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
The list included pens, soda cans, a potted cactus, a shovel, books, a BBQ scraper, a game controller and even a roll of paper towels.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 12 July 2025
Verb
We’ve all been burned by a family member who penned a cheeky limerick for Thanksgiving or a best man who is recalling the groom’s college years in verse.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Siegel’s debut feature Method, penned by Caitlin Parish & Erica Weiss (G20), from an original idea of Siegel’s, is in in development at Amazon MGM Studios.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pen
Cite this Entry
“Pen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pen. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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