as in penalized
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of punished
Europe has for years tried to isolate the Russian leader and punished his country with international sanctions.
—
Hanna Arhirova, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Card policy is supposed to be enforced by the city finance director and lapses are to be punished by cancelation of card access.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
Just one year after a women's fencer was disqualified and punished for refusing to face a transgender opponent, a transgender competitor was forbidden from competition at the very same event.
—Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Local districts should be helped, not punished excessively due to the struggles of one school.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
The jail later punished the women for helping, the suit alleges.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 13 May 2026
Misunderstandings were severely punished.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Europe has for years tried to isolate the Russian leader and punished his country with international sanctions.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
If lawmakers or their families are found guilty of insider trading, they should be punished and treated like any other criminal — exactly like the rest of us.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Hanna Arhirova, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Card policy is supposed to be enforced by the city finance director and lapses are to be punished by cancelation of card access.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
Just one year after a women's fencer was disqualified and punished for refusing to face a transgender opponent, a transgender competitor was forbidden from competition at the very same event.
—Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Local districts should be helped, not punished excessively due to the struggles of one school.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
The jail later punished the women for helping, the suit alleges.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 13 May 2026
Misunderstandings were severely punished.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Europe has for years tried to isolate the Russian leader and punished his country with international sanctions.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
If lawmakers or their families are found guilty of insider trading, they should be punished and treated like any other criminal — exactly like the rest of us.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punished
Verb
-
Garrick Higgo, who was penalized two strokes for missing his opening-round tee time of the PGA Championship last week, has reportedly split from his caddie.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
You get penalized for not having it.—
Bill Schiffmiller,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
He was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $7,700 on April 15.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
The transport ministry did not disclose the amount each carrier was fined.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Caneiro was sentenced for a host of other charges he was convicted of.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
Santamaria’s codefendants, Hershel Tsikman and Hafizullah Ebady, were sentenced earlier in May to 10 years and eight years, respectively, behind bars.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Now, he's pardoned all of these people, despite the fact that they were convicted of violently assaulting police officers, conspiring to overthrow the government of the United States in seditious conspiracy, and so on.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
-
In 2007 and 2008, two men — Romeo Pinkerton and Darnell Hartsfield — were convicted in the killings using DNA evidence collected from the scene.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Other candidates have criticized her and expressed their support for LGBTQ+ students — Rendon perhaps most pointedly.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
-
Owens, who has frequently criticized Hunter Biden and his family over his business dealings, drug addiction, and the controversy surrounding his laptop, previewed a wide-ranging discussion touching on addiction, politics, faith, and Washington’s political culture.—
Adisa Hargett-Robinson,
The Washington Examiner,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The Thunder are young, deep, disciplined, and terrifyingly complete.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
What ultimately distinguishes his work is disciplined resolve.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
TiVo is often chastised for being surreptitious about its data collection practices and its failure to provide a clear privacy policy.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 May 2026
-
During a July 31, 2023, jury trial, prosecutors argued Pino was rightly concerned that Hollis was a threat to him and his family, and chastised Hollis for not being grateful to Pino for putting his life on the line to save hers.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Those qualities – the handheld instability, the textural grain – were not flaws to be corrected but signatures to be honored.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
If this is indeed corrected by the league, Clark would have only the sixth 30-point, 10-assist game in WNBA history.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punished. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
