1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
she plays a punk game of tennis, so you won't have any trouble beating her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
the acting in the movie ranged all the way from poor to punk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
I've been feeling punk today
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in novice
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity
an impertinent punk who was trying to tell senior colleagues how to do their jobs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the vigilante was hailed by some as a hero for standing up to the punks who had repeatedly threatened his family
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in garbage
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
claims made by cosmetic companies about their antiaging creams that turned out to be a lot of punk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of punk
Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately for Clark, a Slits cover of one of her songs is unlikely, since the post-punk trio broke up after the 2010 death of frontwoman Ari Up.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2025
Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 30 Mar. 2026
The demo is very garage-sounding, very punk-sounding.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punk
Adjective
Dave Allen, the bassist of British post-punk group Gang of Four, died at age 69 on April 5.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately for Clark, a Slits cover of one of her songs is unlikely, since the post-punk trio broke up after the 2010 death of frontwoman Ari Up.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2025
Noun
Each two-day event will feature over 100 artists spanning rock, pop punk, alternative, emo, hip-hop, ska and beyond, alongside world-class skateboarders and action sports athletes.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 30 Mar. 2026
The demo is very garage-sounding, very punk-sounding.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punk
Adjective
-
The takeover will continue until the district meets criteria set by the Texas Education Agency, which include exceeding the state and/or regional average for meeting-grade-level proficiency in reading and math, and ensuring the district has no schools unacceptable ratings for multiple years.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Mar. 2026
-
To have to come and be in this particular bracket every freaking year is unacceptable.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But Kardashian celebrated its terrible reviews, and the series was renewed for a second season.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
26 Mar. 2026
-
One hundred fifteen years later, a memorial to the workers who died reveals itself as a reminder that workers’ rights were purchased at a terrible cost, and that the lives lost there still ask something of us.—
Christina Ray Stanton,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That leaves a sicker, older, more expensive pool of enrollees, which pushes up premiums for everyone.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As a result, many began calling in sick or quitting entirely.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For seasoned cooks and kitchen novices, cookbook author and nutritionist Robin Miller takes it back to basics with great, family-friendly recipes worth making over and over again.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Even Zoltan considers herself something of a novice.—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Suddenly Odin gets a call telling him Korps leader Attila (Eili Harboe) and her thugs are on their way to finish the job.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The new Homeland Security person needs to unmask the thugs causing harm to families and innocent children.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Richter and Henke said the best way to avoid confrontations with coyotes is to eliminate food sources, whether by not feeding them directly, bringing pet food indoors or securing garbage.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
No matter how advanced the algorithm, garbage data in means garbage results out, just with a more polished interface.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
If that doesn't open your eyes in law enforcement, something's wrong with you.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Both assumptions are increasingly wrong.—
Brian Barlow,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This is going to be a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In another case, a 10-year-old girl contracted horrible lesions on 10 percent of her body — mostly on her legs — after contact with giant hogweed.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punk. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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