From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbehind barsbehind barsinformalSCJ in prison Her killer was finally put behind bars. → bar
Examples from the Corpus
behind bars• He sputtered up and down the aisle, saying the man should be behind bars.• The most widely distributed Shas tract shows a smirking Weizman standing next to a grim-looking Deri behind bars.• Louis, Ray has spent most of his adult life behind bars.• Almost 3,000 people have been shown what it's like behind bars.• First, her brother is self-evidently a petty fraudster better off behind bars.• More than 30 of those arrested were released from jail for lack of evidence, but the rest remain behind bars.• An exercise in black humour set in an enclosed and hopeless world, the film ends with him remaining behind bars.• Read in studio Britain's best weightlifters have held a unique training session ... behind bars. 