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
Here are some of the recent punitive actions the administration has taken in June, targeting LGBTQ+ Americans.
—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 6 June 2025
Florida Decides Healthcare, which is working to place a Medicaid expansion initiative on the 2026 ballot, has argued that the law imposes vague and punitive restrictions that chill political speech and civic engagement.
—Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 30 May 2025
The legal steps are straightforward, but the domestic politics around these punitive tools are more complex.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
That's down from the 145% punitive level Trump had imposed until a handshake agreement in Geneva last month led to a mutual stand-down that also saw China reduce its duties on U.S. imports down to 10% from 125%.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 6 June 2025
Florida Decides Healthcare, which is working to place a Medicaid expansion initiative on the 2026 ballot, has argued that the law imposes vague and punitive restrictions that chill political speech and civic engagement.
—Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 30 May 2025
The legal steps are straightforward, but the domestic politics around these punitive tools are more complex.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
That's down from the 145% punitive level Trump had imposed until a handshake agreement in Geneva last month led to a mutual stand-down that also saw China reduce its duties on U.S. imports down to 10% from 125%.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punitive
Adjective
-
In the report on El Salvador, whose penal system has become a dumping ground for migrants deported from the United States, there will be no details on the conditions in those prisons.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
1 May 2025
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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
Adjective
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Counties and cities must report serious financial problems to the governor or Legislature for potential corrective action.—
Skyler Swisher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2025
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We are committed to addressing this matter fully and to implementing all necessary corrective actions to ensure this does not happen again.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punitive. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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