unpunished

adjective

un·​pun·​ished ˌən-ˈpə-nisht How to pronounce unpunished (audio)
Synonyms of unpunishednext
: 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
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While the 1930s and 1940s did see some instances of carnival poking fun at the tyranny of the Nazi regime (none of which, it should be noted, went unpunished), Birdsall and other scholars maintain that the festival was, first and foremost, an avenue for propaganda. Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026 In a part of the country where the rape of Black women by white men had historically gone largely unpunished, there seemed to be a commitment not to allow history to repeat itself. Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 Rudiger’s challenge went unpunished as it was not spotted by referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz and the video assistant referee (VAR) did not recommend an on-field review. Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026 Furthermore, the report said that crimes against journalists go unpunished in Haiti, where gangs control large swaths of the capital city, and have waged an intimidation campaign against media workers and local residents. Astrid Suárez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unpunished

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“Unpunished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpunished. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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