as in to penalize
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
the child was punished for breaking dishes on purpose if caught, the thief will be severely punished
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of punish
The penalty is a mere $200 fine, and members have not been punished for said violations.
—
Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 16 Apr. 2025
Moffett Nathanson’s note said shifting more ad dollars to digital platforms would be a punishing blow to TV, which has struggled as consumers have steadily moved to streaming platforms for video.
—Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025
The duty list became a tool for corruption and party self-dealing, a device for rewarding favorites and punishing enemies.
— Made By History, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
The Constitution also just prohibits public officials from abusing their power to punish their political enemies.
—Destinee Adams, NPR, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punish
Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 16 Apr. 2025
Moffett Nathanson’s note said shifting more ad dollars to digital platforms would be a punishing blow to TV, which has struggled as consumers have steadily moved to streaming platforms for video.
—Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025
The duty list became a tool for corruption and party self-dealing, a device for rewarding favorites and punishing enemies.
— Made By History, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
The Constitution also just prohibits public officials from abusing their power to punish their political enemies.
—Destinee Adams, NPR, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punish
Verb
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This is not the first time that Trump’s administration has moved to penalize a local judge.—
Jenny Jarvie,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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Scores are often used to make school funding decisions, penalizing schools where students aren’t acing the test.—
Mark C. Perna,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Representatives from Liberty University and Grand Canyon University also claimed their institutions were unfairly fined because of their Christian worldview.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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Apple was fined €500 million ($566 million) over restrictions in its App Store that the European Commission said limit competition by preventing developers from offering alternative app marketplaces.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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She was criticized by some for her expensive timepiece and for using prisoners as production props.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Carey criticized laissez-faire economics for degrading the British working class.—
Made by History,
Time,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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When China publicly chastised the administration, Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2025
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One such moment seemingly backfired when his ex left a long voicemail chastising him—likely triggered after one of the kids repeated an insult.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Maxwell was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
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The 64-year-old was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 30 years.—
Susan Mallie,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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He also is convicted of involuntary manslaughter over the deaths of the eight federal agents rather than murder.—
Todd Pendleton,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Read could face a maximum of life in prison if convicted.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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One main reason Holmes says Riverside players knew or should have known: Lorch frequently disciplined players for various violations during practice, from missing free throws to not running hard during sprints.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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Aides describe her administration as disciplined, exacting, and highly attuned to data.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The images, which claim to show images of the iPhone 17 Pro in four different cases were labelled iPhone 16 Pro in the first post, but later corrected.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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If the person does not correct the behavior, Whitmore suggested alerting a flight attendant.—
Ashley J. DiMella Fox News,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punish. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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