unpunished
adjective
un·pun·ished
ˌən-ˈpə-nisht 
: not punished
an unpunished criminal/crime
an offense that should not be allowed to go unpunished
Examples of unpunished in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The violation will almost certainly go unpunished, but the rules and norms will be missed.
—
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
And to this day, despite what people might wish, the fact is that when a tree gets cut down, special or otherwise, the deed goes more or less unpunished.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Over the course of the Wicked films, Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba defies gravity, gets Fiyero seeing through different eyes, and learns that no good deed goes unpunished.
—Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
Bonitto was flagged for unnecessary roughness, but the retaliation went unpunished.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unpunished
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
And to this day, despite what people might wish, the fact is that when a tree gets cut down, special or otherwise, the deed goes more or less unpunished.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Over the course of the Wicked films, Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba defies gravity, gets Fiyero seeing through different eyes, and learns that no good deed goes unpunished.
—Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
Bonitto was flagged for unnecessary roughness, but the retaliation went unpunished.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unpunished
Cite this Entry
“Unpunished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpunished. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share