1
as in fine
a sum of money to be paid as a punishment
the penalty for speeding is $10 for every mile over the speed limit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in punishment
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
in some cases, the new penalties for drug offenses were harsher than those for violent crimes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disadvantage
the negative result caused by something that creates difficulty for achieving success
suffered the penalty of his decision to leave school without graduating
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of penalty
The change comes shortly after the Big 12 threatened in-game penalties and $100,000 fines if fans continue to throw tortillas onto the playing surface.
—
Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Miami had nine penalties for 68 yards against Louisville, including three on third downs in the second half.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2025
This specific penalty, though, isn’t one that officials are often calling.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
If the request is not honored within 10 days, agencies may face civil penalties.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penalty
Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Miami had nine penalties for 68 yards against Louisville, including three on third downs in the second half.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2025
This specific penalty, though, isn’t one that officials are often calling.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
If the request is not honored within 10 days, agencies may face civil penalties.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penalty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalty
Noun
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The highest fines were handed to Tennessee Titans cornerback La'Jarius Sneed, who has to pay up $23,186 for unnecessary roughness (use of a helmet), and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen for a necessary roughness (blow to the head/neck).—
Anne Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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Participants receive a free one-way flight, a $1,000 stipend and forgiveness of prior fines for failure to depart.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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However, the league seemingly deemed his actions not punishment-worthy, saving Mahomes from an $11,593 first-offense taunting penalty.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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Where Gentle Parenting Might Be Lacking Gentle parenting emphasizes empathy and respectful communication without harsh punishment, explains Cynthia Vejar, PhD, LPC, program director and associate professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lebanon Valley College.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Part of the new legislative package is also an effort to combat home appraisal discrimination, which has often put non-white households at a disadvantage.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
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The first strategy has the disadvantage that some tumor cells develop resistance and thus do not respond to the medication.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Smith said that the initial goal is to get the tool up and running and then focus on expanding the work by not only looking at events that cost over $1 billion in damages but also smaller and medium-sized events.—
Ignacio Calderon,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
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The Billion-Dollar Database tracks the financial costs of property and other infrastructure destroyed by extreme weather disasters in the United States, focusing on events that caused $1 billion or more in damages.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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After a soggy weekend, Arizona is finally getting some relief from Priscilla’s wrath.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
13 Oct. 2025
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When Hernán helps Julia and her young daughter, Maribel, navigate treacherous borderlands, their desperate journey triggers the wrath of a ruthless trafficking syndicate.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This includes reasonable expenses, such as meals, toiletries and lodging for trips delayed more than six hours or requiring an overnight stay.—
Ryley Amond,
CNBC,
18 Oct. 2025
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Payments to that company accounted for nearly two-thirds of the party’s expenses during the period.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalty. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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