Incarcerating is a word that means to confine or imprison somebody as a punishment for a crime. There are a variety of synonyms for this word that can be used in different contexts. For example, the word "detaining" can be used as a synonym for incarcerating when referring to holding somebody in custody for a short period of time. Another synonym is "jailing," which is often used to describe the act of confining somebody to a prison or jail for a longer period of time. Other synonyms for incarcerating include "imprisoning," "locking up," and "confining." Each of these words can be used to describe the act of taking away somebody's freedom of movement or confining them to a specific location.