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
Doing that is not aggressive or punitive.
—
Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
Drug policy reform that is grounded in scientific evidence would favor stigma-free counseling and treatment over punitive measures.
—Lauren Micalizzi, STAT, 2 Mar. 2026
The caliphate ruled Manbij for two brutal years—years of summary executions and punitive amputations.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Kwok Yin-sang's case also shows authorities' willingness to utilize their full arsenal of punitive national security legislation to criminalize a wider swath of Hong Kong's population, according to Eric Lai, a senior fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian Law.
—Shibani Mahtani, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punitive
Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
Drug policy reform that is grounded in scientific evidence would favor stigma-free counseling and treatment over punitive measures.
—Lauren Micalizzi, STAT, 2 Mar. 2026
The caliphate ruled Manbij for two brutal years—years of summary executions and punitive amputations.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Kwok Yin-sang's case also shows authorities' willingness to utilize their full arsenal of punitive national security legislation to criminalize a wider swath of Hong Kong's population, according to Eric Lai, a senior fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian Law.
—Shibani Mahtani, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punitive
Adjective
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The case will be referred to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office for possible felony charges, correctional officials said.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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Despite other staff at the facility intervening quickly, prison officials say the correctional officer suffered several puncture wounds.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Centuries of penal laws had left Catholics as impoverished tenant farmers, while Protestants – wealthier and less reliant on the crop – had greater resources to survive.—
Paula Kane,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
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But those who do get caught end up experiencing the Gulf’s penal system for at least a while, which is something most tourists and residents would prefer to avoid.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The state also said federal officials have been difficult to work with; despite providing a corrective action plan and admitting that fraud is an issue in Minnesota, the state hasn't received clarity from the federal government about whether the plan is acceptable or not.—
Frankie McLister,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Some of the state legislation is seeking to do just that — introduce a corrective to what sponsors say is currently unchecked device time in classrooms.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punitive. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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