behind bars

VERB

serving jail time

Synonyms

WEAK

confined imprisoned in jail in prison incarcerated jailed put away serving time under lock and key

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She said she felt "numb and shocked" when the letters started appearing and that he was still trying to "manipulate" her from behind bars.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

The judge sentenced him to 33 months behind bars, but a federal appeals court in December ordered Hankison freed while it reviews his case, nodding to Keenan’s arguments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Kornev’s tragedy is that, while he may not be behind bars, he can’t see the prison he’s trapped in.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

For others, it is a catastrophic failure by the Prison Service as he should be spending the full sentence - life with a minimum term of 40 years - behind bars.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

And Mario knew that Chester, like all people who are used to freedom, would rather die than live his life behind bars.

From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden