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.

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

He spent more than a year behind bars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

Fifteen of its mayors are now behind bars.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 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

As White walked along the cell block tiers, he could see figures from his past, their eyes peering out from behind bars, their bodies gleaming with sweat.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann