as in penitentiary
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
earned six years in a federal pen
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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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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
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025
But within 15 minutes of returning to the holding pen, the horse was found lying down and trembling.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
In recent weeks, NASA employees across the country received emails announcing an end to the agency's DEIA offices as well as directives to adhere to new guidelines penned by the Trump administration.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 11 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pen 
Noun
The 17-year-old was caught on video leaving the conductor’s car and members of the group used a black marker pen to black out surveillance cameras, the prosecutor said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025
But within 15 minutes of returning to the holding pen, the horse was found lying down and trembling.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Verb
Andrew Bernstein, who served as an executive producer and director on Season 2 of the series, is directing the film from a script penned by Aaron Rabin and Krasinksi.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
In recent weeks, NASA employees across the country received emails announcing an end to the agency's DEIA offices as well as directives to adhere to new guidelines penned by the Trump administration.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 11 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pen
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Cite this Entry
“Pen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pen. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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