Eighth Amendment
Americannoun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Inmates have challenged the use of lethal injections in the past on the grounds they may violate Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Isabella County, many other state and local governments and the Justice Department have pushed back hard against this argument, saying the Eighth Amendment doesn’t apply to penalties unrelated to crimes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
The Eighth Amendment to the Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, including the denial of necessary medical care for inmates.
From Salon • Aug. 17, 2025
That alone should mean that shipping people there runs afoul of domestic laws and potentially the Eighth Amendment, if indeed the U.S. can be legally considered the jailer.
From Slate • Apr. 8, 2025
In the cases where the Supreme Court had previously granted relief under the Eighth Amendment, the number of sentences challenged usually totaled fewer than a hundred or so nationwide.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
