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
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Recent Examples of pokey
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
One reason entanglement is exciting is the potential to drive quantum computers that make today's best look pokey by comparison, like so:
Quantum computers exploit the inherent uncertainties of quantum physics to perform calculations much faster than computers currently in use.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019
The Embraceable Bra provides the support of underwire cups without an uncomfortably firm or pokey feeling.
—Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2023
Dropping the hammer from a stop gets it to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, which opens plenty of opportunities for maneuvering around traffic's pokey dullards.
—Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 31 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for pokey
Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 27 July 2024
One reason entanglement is exciting is the potential to drive quantum computers that make today's best look pokey by comparison, like so:
Quantum computers exploit the inherent uncertainties of quantum physics to perform calculations much faster than computers currently in use.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019
The Embraceable Bra provides the support of underwire cups without an uncomfortably firm or pokey feeling.
—Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2023
Dropping the hammer from a stop gets it to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, which opens plenty of opportunities for maneuvering around traffic's pokey dullards.
—Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 31 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for pokey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pokey
Noun
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He’s gone after organizations like Special Olympics and the Brevard Zoo with threats of funding cuts, sponsored legislation that could land public officials in jail for doing their jobs and pursued petty personal vendettas.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2025
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Castellanos was kept in jail because there was no monitoring device for him — something out of Tyler’s control — and Chaplin was arrested at an unnamed law enforcement agency’s discretion, the vendor said.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Since his detention, Mangione has seen supporters donate thousands of dollars for his defense fund, gifts sent to his prison, and letters showing support and asking for his response.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
-
In filings Monday, government officials acknowledged the administrative mistake that sent Garcia to a notorious prison in El Salvador.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In Oklahoma, 56-year-old Wendell Grissom was declared dead by lethal injection at the penitentiary in McAlester at 10:13 a.m.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
21 Mar. 2025
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Salvador's Presidency Press Office via AFP - Getty Images Origins in prison Tren de Aragua began in the 2000s in a notorious penitentiary in north-central Venezuela, where gang leaders at one point had their own zoo, nightclub and bank inside the prison.—
David Noriega,
NBC News,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pokey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pokey. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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