as in correctional
inflicting, involving, or serving as punishment
any misbehavior was immediately met with a punitive response the company had to pay a million dollars in punitive damages
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Recent Examples of punitive
Judges who have reviewed the cases have already temporarily blocked enforcement of the executive orders' punitive measures.
—
Ryan Lucas, NPR, 13 Apr. 2025
In addition, Rome had inflicted atrocities and punitive measures upon Jews after insurgencies – further motivating Jesus’ followers to distance themselves.
—Nathanael Andrade, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025
Getty Images Many companies had been steadily reducing their reliance on China as a manufacturing hub since President Donald Trump's first term, hoping to blunt the impact of punitive levies from the United States.
—Dylan Butts,anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
Wall Street had been on edge, looking for any sign that Trump might shift his approach to his punitive tariffs.
—John Towfighi, David Goldman and Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive
Ryan Lucas, NPR, 13 Apr. 2025
In addition, Rome had inflicted atrocities and punitive measures upon Jews after insurgencies – further motivating Jesus’ followers to distance themselves.
—Nathanael Andrade, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025
Getty Images Many companies had been steadily reducing their reliance on China as a manufacturing hub since President Donald Trump's first term, hoping to blunt the impact of punitive levies from the United States.
—Dylan Butts,anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
Wall Street had been on edge, looking for any sign that Trump might shift his approach to his punitive tariffs.
—John Towfighi, David Goldman and Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punitive
Adjective
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Convicted in London for conducting clandestine marriages, Grierson was sentenced to 14 years of penal servitude in the American Colonies.—
Alexandra Cox,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Mar. 2025
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Now they are imprisoned in El Salvador, according to their families, who have been left in the dark about their fates in a penal system widely condemned for human rights abuses.—
Patrick J. McDonnell,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The memos sometimes validated an immigrant’s account of individual abuse, or detailed systemic issues and corrective action at detention centers.—
Mel Leonor Barclay,
Them.,
15 Apr. 2025
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Blue Origin spaceflights with human aboard then resumed in May 2024 after the Federal Aviation Administration closed its investigation and ordered the company to make 21 corrective actions.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punitive. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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