as in penitentiary
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
earned six years in a federal pen
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
John Wenzel, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
The Browns have a pair of first-round picks and an owner whose pen never runs out of ink.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
Galit Widerman, senior deputy director general at the GCA, penned the letter viewed by Calcalist.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pen
Noun
By 1899, shipments to nationwide markets and Denver’s own population helped the yards balloon from a handful of pens to 105 acres.
—Verb
Just the other day, Richard Curtis, who penned Notting Hill, voiced a belief that AI can never replace an actor, a screenwriter or any filmmaking creative.
—Cite this Entry
“Pen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pen. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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