punch

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: a tool usually in the form of a short rod of steel that is variously shaped at one end for different operations (such as forming, perforating, embossing, or cutting)
b
: a short tapering steel rod for driving the heads of nails below a surface
c
: a steel die faced with a letter in relief that is forced into a softer metal to form an intaglio matrix from which foundry type is cast
d
: a device or machine for cutting holes or notches (as in paper or cardboard)
e
: a medical instrument used especially to perforate tissue or remove a small, round segment of tissue (such as skin)
a biopsy punch
2
: a hole or notch from a perforating operation

punch

2 of 4

verb

punched; punching; punches

transitive verb

1
a
: prod, poke
b
: drive, herd
punching cattle
2
a
: to strike with a forward thrust especially of the fist
b
: to drive or push forcibly by or as if by a punch
c
: to hit (a ball) with less than a full swing
3
: to emboss, cut, perforate, or make with or as if with a punch
4
a
: to push down so as to produce a desired result
punch buttons on a jukebox
b
: to hit or press down the operating mechanism of
punch a typewriter
c
: to insert a time card into (a time clock)
d
: to produce by or as if by punching keys
punch out a tune on the piano
e
: to enter (something, such as data) by punching keys
5
: to give emphasis to

intransitive verb

1
: to perform the action of punching something
2
: to move or push forward especially by a sudden forceful effort
punched into enemy territory
puncher noun

punch

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
: the action of punching
2
: a quick blow with or as if with the fist
3
: effective energy or forcefulness
a story that packs a punch
political punch
punchless adjective

punch

4 of 4

noun (3)

: a hot or cold drink that is usually a combination of hard liquor, wine, or beer and nonalcoholic beverages
also : a drink that is a mixture of nonalcoholic beverages
Phrases
to the punch
: to the first blow or to decisive action
usually used with beat

Examples of punch in a Sentence

Verb He punched me in the face. She punched him on the chin. He quickly punched the buttons on his telephone. She punched an opening through the dough with her finger. The tool punches holes in paper.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Christopher Elliott Special to USA TODAY Travel consumes precious natural resources, pollutes the environment and punches a hole in the ozone layer. Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 Roosevelt punches right back with buckets from Brynn Price and Maddie Moyers, the latter on a fast break following a Northfield miss, giving the Rough Riders a 63-56 lead with 3:12 to go. Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Just punching back right there and getting guys on base. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2024 This wasn’t one of the usual minorities that people punched down on. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Steve Javie, the ref who dinged Paul Pierce for punching the air, has since retired from officiating, and now provides commentary on refereeing during ESPN and ABC broadcasts. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 Though the Golden Raspberries are usually in good fun, the event has come under fire in recent years for punching below its weight, like nominating an 11-year-old last year, only to rescind her nomination. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 Two mariners faced a terrifying predicament in the remote Atlantic, when a lighting strike punched a hole through their sailboat just minutes before sunset. Mark Price, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 The victim attempted to disperse the melee when Hardy attempted to punch him and missed. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024
Noun
Buoyed by the playmaking of point guard Kiki Rice, the toughness of center Lauren Betts and the scoring punch of veteran guard Charisma Osborne, the Bruins had won six consecutive games before their crushing double-overtime loss to the Trojans in the conference tournament. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024 The Americans, though, absorbed the punches as the back line led by San Diego Wave FC star Naomi Girma did not allow pressure to translate to pain. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 Black also ropes in a bunch of his Kung Fu Panda 4 castmates, dancing with Awkwafina, karate-chopping Bryan Cranston, and taking a punch from Ke Huy Quan. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024 Instead, Kansas State hung around until the Jayhawks delivered the knockout punch early in the second half. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 Our tasters were over the moon about the intense punch that each chocolate chip packed. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 6 Mar. 2024 Roll with the punches as Mercury and Uranus harmonize. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 When the hardware and software are all working together, with the ability to easily join up with friends and record clips, the One feels like a gaming experience that somehow beats Apple to the punch of fleshing out its own gaming ambitions. Quentyn Kennemer, The Verge, 4 Mar. 2024 Office owners were then hit with a one-two punch as vacancy rates hit record highs due to the staying power of the hybrid work trend. Will Daniel, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English pounce, punche, probably alteration of ponson, ponchon puncheon

Verb

Middle English pouncen, punchen to emboss, pierce, probably from pounce, noun

Noun (3)

perhaps from Hindi & Urdu pā̃c five, from Sanskrit pañca; akin to Greek pente five; from its originally having five ingredients — more at five

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of punch was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near punch

Cite this Entry

“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punch. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

punch

1 of 4 verb
1
2
a
: to strike with the fist
b
: to press, strike, or cause to work by or as if by punching
punch a typewriter
3
: to pierce or stamp with a punch
4
: to enter (as data) by punching keys
puncher noun

punch

2 of 4 noun
1
: a quick blow with or as if with the fist
2
: effective force
the team was well trained but lacked punch

punch

3 of 4 noun
1
a
: a tool for piercing, cutting, or stamping or for driving a nail
b
: a device or machine for cutting holes or notches (as in paper or cardboard)
2
: a hole or notch made by a punch

punch

4 of 4 noun
: a drink made of various and usually many ingredients and often flavored with wine or liquor
Etymology

Verb

Middle English pouncen, punchen "emboss, pierce," probably from pounce "punching tool, dagger, talon"

Noun

perhaps from a word in Hindi & Urdu (the official language of Pakistan) pā̃c "five"; so called from the fact that it originally had five ingredients

Medical Definition

punch

noun
: a medical instrument used especially to perforate tissue or remove a small, round segment of tissue (such as skin)
a biopsy punch

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