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
But the question of whether the federal government can withhold grants to punish sanctuary jurisdictions was left unanswered by the Supreme Court after President Biden took office and previous lawsuits were dismissed.
—
Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025
But opposing hitters aren’t punishing Garrett, who has strengthened his repertoire on the mound, according to Kouts junior catcher Cooper Whitaker.
—Dave Melton, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
In fact, Trump views the Justice Department as a tool to uplift his political agenda, undoing the dedicated work of dozens of federal agents and prosecutors with his blanket pardon of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and punishing or firing personnel that had engaged in disfavored inquiries.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 May 2025
The Warriors don’t have enough isolation players who can punish Houston’s aggression.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for punish
Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025
But opposing hitters aren’t punishing Garrett, who has strengthened his repertoire on the mound, according to Kouts junior catcher Cooper Whitaker.
—Dave Melton, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
In fact, Trump views the Justice Department as a tool to uplift his political agenda, undoing the dedicated work of dozens of federal agents and prosecutors with his blanket pardon of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and punishing or firing personnel that had engaged in disfavored inquiries.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 May 2025
The Warriors don’t have enough isolation players who can punish Houston’s aggression.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for punish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punish
Verb
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According to The New York Times, Heritage Action, the think tank's grassroots advocacy arm, is working to help states pass legislation that penalizes those who support boycotts against Israel.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
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In rules introduced by the FIA ahead of the season, F1 drivers could be penalized – with monetary fines or loss of championship points – for cursing in press conferences.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Critics suggested that Johnson timed the announcement to distract from the fact that he’d just been fined for attending a party in defiance of his own COVID restrictions, though the policy had been months in the making.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
16 May 2025
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In at least two other states, Musk’s companies have run afoul of regulators and have been cited or fined for allegedly breaking environmental rules — Tesla in California, and SpaceX and The Boring Co. in Texas.—
Stephanie Gosk,
NBC news,
15 May 2025
Verb
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The late pope criticized both laissez-faire capitalism and state-centric socialism, giving shape to a distinctly Catholic vein of economic teaching.—
Nicole Winfield,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2025
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Several Democratic members of Congress criticized her firing.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Hopper was chastised for killing the local calendars so his bill was moved to the general calendar in the House.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 May 2025
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He was chastised by members of Congress for refusing to take a stand on the matter.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
14 May 2025
Verb
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People convicted of the charge are usually sentenced following federal guidelines that most often result in a lesser punishment, however.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
20 May 2025
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On April 11, Sanchez was sentenced to 51 months in prison, officials said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
20 May 2025
Verb
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If convicted, Diddy could face life in jail. Diddy, who has been incarcerated since September 2024 due to multiple denials of bail, appeared in the court last week as Judge Arun Subramanian oversaw jury selection.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
12 May 2025
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If convicted, Combs could be sentenced to life in prison.—
Elizabeth Wagmeister,
CNN Money,
12 May 2025
Verb
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In addition, at lower price points, elevated mortgage rates will likely keep buyers disciplined.—
John Walkup,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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This is his third time being disciplined by the state Board of Medicine, the first since 1997.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2025
Verb
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But given that Brendan was just carved up, Kev quickly corrects his mum.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
18 May 2025
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This story has been corrected to show that Boston and Reese got double technical fouls, not Clark and Reese.—
Michael Marot,
Baltimore Sun,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punish. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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