as in punishes
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
the player was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct
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Recent Examples of penalizes
The system rewards deference and penalizes the judgment oversight was designed to protect.
—
Tiffany Archer, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
During the two hours of debate in the House on Tuesday, the bill’s supporters declared that income tax is the most destructive tax that penalizes productivity.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2026
California law penalizes abuse of a child under 14 especially harshly.
—Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
The bill also targets and penalizes repair shops that modify exhaust systems to exceed legal noise levels.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026
Zillow allegedly monitors agent communications and penalizes those who recommend outside lenders.
—New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
By taxing those inputs, the policy effectively penalizes domestic production.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
But because the ban penalizes corporations, not consumers who break the rules, ban-repeal advocates may have a harder time drawing a coalition of cross-partisan support.
—Keith Humphreys, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2026
Taboo Words This game penalizes players who say the wrong words.
—Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
Tiffany Archer, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
During the two hours of debate in the House on Tuesday, the bill’s supporters declared that income tax is the most destructive tax that penalizes productivity.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2026
California law penalizes abuse of a child under 14 especially harshly.
—Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
The bill also targets and penalizes repair shops that modify exhaust systems to exceed legal noise levels.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026
Zillow allegedly monitors agent communications and penalizes those who recommend outside lenders.
—New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
By taxing those inputs, the policy effectively penalizes domestic production.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
But because the ban penalizes corporations, not consumers who break the rules, ban-repeal advocates may have a harder time drawing a coalition of cross-partisan support.
—Keith Humphreys, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2026
Taboo Words This game penalizes players who say the wrong words.
—Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalizes
punishes
Verb
-
Because what most directly punishes American physicians for seeking mental health care sits on a state medical licensure application.—
Frances Mei Hardin,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
-
Imposing an across the board cut punishes agencies that have maintained budgetary discipline while rewarding those that have not, creating an incentive for bloated budgets so future cuts don’t hurt.—
Rose Evans
May 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penalizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalizes. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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