Idiom
serve time
Meaning
To be confined in prison or a similar institution, typically for wrongdoing that violates the law.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“The criminal had to serve time for his crimes.”
“After the judge delivered the final verdict, the defendant was sent away to serve time in a state facility.”
“Having been convicted of financial fraud, the former executive was sentenced to serve time in a minimum-security prison for his role in the scandal.”
Examples
simple
“The criminal had to serve time for his crimes.”
contextual
“After the judge delivered the final verdict, the defendant was sent away to serve time in a state facility.”
complex
“Having been convicted of financial fraud, the former executive was sentenced to serve time in a minimum-security prison for his role in the scandal.”
Key words
Related idioms
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