1
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
after the man had punched the bartender for eighty-sixing him, bouncers stepped in and restrained him until the police could arrive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in
punch a ticket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in impact
the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect
the real punch of the speech came in its closing lines
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in vigor
active strength of body or mind
we're going to need a candidate with real punch if voters are ever going to get excited about this election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the poor palooka wasn't able to land a single punch on his opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in puncture
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument
old computers used to get information by reading the punches on a series of cards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of punch
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Bessent threatened to punch Pulte during a heated confrontation at a private dinner attended by administration officials and close advisers to Trump earlier this month, Politico reported.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 16 Sep. 2025
Adam Mills, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
The pepper jelly glaze gives these wings the perfect pre-supper punch.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch
Verb
In a show where people cheat, choose colleges based on their latest hookups, and punch each other during debutante balls, disagreement strikes often.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Bessent threatened to punch Pulte during a heated confrontation at a private dinner attended by administration officials and close advisers to Trump earlier this month, Politico reported.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
New & Noteworthy Eggo with an extra punch!
—Adam Mills, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
The pepper jelly glaze gives these wings the perfect pre-supper punch.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch
Verb
-
Ma slapped me and was right to do so.—
Anahid Nersessian,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Trade tensions between Beijing and Washington have been on a rollercoaster ride in 2025, with both sides slapping escalating tariffs on each other.—
AFP,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
No one wants to drill with you.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Patriots quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant saw months of practice come alive in that moment, having drilled those exact movements with Maye since the spring.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Elsewhere, a strange new trend has started, seeing users stitch together clips of Jeremiah from various episodes into horror film-like videos, driving home the message that this is not just another cute, curly-haired college student but a malevolent Disney villain.—
Olivia Petter,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Discover the fascinating economics driving billion-dollar industries.—
thehustle.co,
thehustle.co,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Another bone-breaking moment comes during hitting drills, and as players smack each other, Tipping flips to an X-ray view that shows the brain and other internal parts of bodies being jostled around in shocking fashion.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
-
On one play, there were three Eagles players moving early, and the Chiefs player smacked the ball out of the centers hand and nothing was called.—
Mark Kern,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Transfer to oven, and bake until apples are tender when pierced with a wooden pick, about 25 minutes.—
Sheri Castle,
Southern Living,
20 Sep. 2025
-
In 2020, when the world shut down because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Rowan continued to operate by sending nurses to people’s homes to get their ears pierced.—
Jennifer Liu
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The 11-billion-euro ($13 billion) Lyon-Turin High-Speed Rail Tunnel extends more than 65 kilometers (40 miles) with 57½ kilometers (nearly 36 miles) of the Mont Cenis base tunnel running underground from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France and Susa, Italy.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Buttigieg could run for president in 2028 as the party vets a variety of candidates to lead them in a couple of years.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The jeans also have a cropped length that hits right at the ankle and patch pockets that not only look cute, but are also functional.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Denholm is giving interviews to explain the board’s decision to award Musk a pay package that could be worth $1 trillion if the company hits milestones for market capitalization, profits, and vehicle production.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Keep communication open by avoiding poking fun at these practices.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Gibson proceeded to the Children’s Chorus room, where two staffers welcomed her to poke through the costume racks.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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