as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
joked about the time he passed out on the street and woke up in the pokey
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 pokey
There are reasons people are afraid of the dentist; all of those pokey instruments going into soft, sensitive places.
—
Erin Qualey, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
Thirty-three years since its founder began cutting up fabrics in a pokey South London flat, the house of McQueen’s headquarters now inhabit a six-story, 30,000-square-foot building in London’s Clerkenwell.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
This pokey lime green plant is a bit of a chameleon, changing colour when stressed by lack of water or bad weather.
—Katy Kelleher, refinery29.com, 29 July 2024
Calvin Klein’s racerback bralette is made from ultra-soft and stretch-infused cotton for optimal breathability, and it’s designed without pokey underwires, too.
—Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 27 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for pokey
Erin Qualey, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
Thirty-three years since its founder began cutting up fabrics in a pokey South London flat, the house of McQueen’s headquarters now inhabit a six-story, 30,000-square-foot building in London’s Clerkenwell.
—Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
This pokey lime green plant is a bit of a chameleon, changing colour when stressed by lack of water or bad weather.
—Katy Kelleher, refinery29.com, 29 July 2024
Calvin Klein’s racerback bralette is made from ultra-soft and stretch-infused cotton for optimal breathability, and it’s designed without pokey underwires, too.
—Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 27 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for pokey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pokey
Noun
-
He was ordered to complete the 150-day jail sentence.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
-
Thaksin also faces another key legal test in September, when the Supreme Court will decide whether his six-month stint in hospital detention prior to his release on parole in 2024 should count as time served in a jail term for abuse of power and conflicts of interest.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
According to California law, if convicted, the charge carries a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
-
Notably, re-entering the United States after being deported is a felony, and a conviction could result in a fine and up to two years in prison, the US Criminal Code states.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Tornado-like winds blew the roof off of a Nebraska penitentiary over the weekend, state officials said.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
11 Aug. 2025
-
At the beloved attraction in San Francisco Bay, visitors could scarcely believe President Trump had suggested turning Alcatraz back into a penitentiary.—
Heather Knight,
New York Times,
6 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pokey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pokey. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share