PUNISHER Synonyms: 13 Similar and Opposite Words

punisher

noun

Definition of punisher

as in nemesis

one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense a father who regrets the fact that he always ends up being the household's disciplinarian and resident punisher

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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 punisher Montgomery has barely been in the big leagues for two months but has already put his name alongside a couple of franchise icons (and another hard-core punisher of baseballs). — Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for punisher

Noun

Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup chipped the ball toward the goal from the left side, and Haaland leaped, swung his neck and headed it into the net, outjumping Brazil’s 6-foot-3 defender Gabriel Magalhães, his Premier League nemesis.

— Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 July 2026
On the big screen, the British actor was George Clooney’s villainous nemesis in Tomorrowland (2015) and appeared in the starry ensemble cast of The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019).

— Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 5 July 2026

Definition of nemesis

Noun

Speaking of that last vampire subject, this is also a great episode for Jacob Anderson in the B-plot, as Louis plays the reluctant avenger doing that loveable scoundrel Raglan James’s dirty work in two stand-out action sequences.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 22 June 2026
Instead, the young, webbed avenger kept limber by performing headstands and flips and cartwheels on the grass.

— Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2026

Definition of avenger

Noun

And starring Barbie Ferreira as a vigilante web sleuth, their latest project successfully tapped into an earlier strain of viral folklore that resonated strongly with IndieWire’s chief film critic David Ehrlich.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
Outfits like anti-migrant vigilante group March and March have capitalized on this shift, expanding their footprint from the coastal KwaZulu-Natal province directly into economic hubs such as Gauteng.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of vigilante

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punished

punisher

punishers

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“Punisher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punisher. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of punisher

noun

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