as in penalty
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
he is serving five years in prison as punishment for aggravated assault
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Recent Examples of punishment
One teacher could impose a more stringent punishment than another for the same misdeed.
—
Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The fight While punishments for people who've caused fatal crashes while high have varied wildly from state to state, Resecker's sentence stands out for being unusually tough, especially given his young age, according to a USA TODAY review of similar cases.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The decision followed a court finding that Ragan's cognitive disabilities meant the death penalty was not the appropriate punishment, nearly a decade after the crime was committed.
—Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
In March, the administration canceled $400 million of Columbia’s grants and contracts, ostensibly as punishment for the university’s failures to address anti-Semitism.
—Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The fight While punishments for people who've caused fatal crashes while high have varied wildly from state to state, Resecker's sentence stands out for being unusually tough, especially given his young age, according to a USA TODAY review of similar cases.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The decision followed a court finding that Ragan's cognitive disabilities meant the death penalty was not the appropriate punishment, nearly a decade after the crime was committed.
—Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
In March, the administration canceled $400 million of Columbia’s grants and contracts, ostensibly as punishment for the university’s failures to address anti-Semitism.
—Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishment
Noun
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Minnesota killing off a late-period penalty was about the only highlight for Wild fans, who went to the second intermission a bit stunned at the deficit facing their team.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
16 Mar. 2026
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There are other conditions and penalties the writer has failed to consider.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Joe Biden’s efforts to be the most pro-labor president in history didn’t spare him the wrath of young Starbucks employees who accused him of complicity in genocide.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
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The second-year former first-round draft pick didn’t even have to be on the floor to face Doncic’s wrath.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishment. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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