1
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
after the man had punched the bartender for eighty-sixing him, bouncers stepped in and restrained him until the police could arrive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in
punch a ticket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in impact
the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect
the real punch of the speech came in its closing lines
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in vigor
active strength of body or mind
we're going to need a candidate with real punch if voters are ever going to get excited about this election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the poor palooka wasn't able to land a single punch on his opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in puncture
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument
old computers used to get information by reading the punches on a series of cards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of punch
Ashley Andreou,
STAT,
22 June 2026
One area where the EM11 NL punches above its weight is connectivity.
—
Sascha Brodsky,
PC Magazine,
21 June 2026
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
The one-two punch of heat and humidity is anticipated to reach Eastern states by midweek, AccuWeather said, possibly lingering through the Independence Day weekend.
—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for punch
Verb
He was wheeled into the emergency department by his mother after punching her, again.
—
Ashley Andreou,
STAT,
22 June 2026
One area where the EM11 NL punches above its weight is connectivity.
—
Sascha Brodsky,
PC Magazine,
21 June 2026
Noun
The magnitude of Prince Jacerys’s death was lost in the tumult of battle last week; compared to watching Vermax’s colossal frame be swallowed by the sea, the sight of a sinking boy, puny and fragile, struggled to pack a cinematic punch.
—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
The one-two punch of heat and humidity is anticipated to reach Eastern states by midweek, AccuWeather said, possibly lingering through the Independence Day weekend.
—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch
Verb
-
Would love to see what happens if Daemon tries to slap Hugh.
-
So, the inspector held a Stop Sale party, slapping them on dumplings, two groups of sprouts, three groups of shrimp, and eggs, chicken, beef, pork, noodles, cabbage, pasta and ham.
Verb
-
Lo Celso scored on a free kick; Martinez drilled a penalty kick after Julian Alvarez was kicked in the face while attempting a header.
-
The Mets nearly answered against Wheeler in the bottom of the first, as Soto — with a runner on first base — drilled a 397-foot drive to right-center.
Verb
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The abnormal heat has been driven by the onset of El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean.
-
Congestion is difficult to predict, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, when driving behavior shifted and peak traffic hours spread out instead of sticking to the more uniform 9-to-5 workday.
Noun
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Many of the injuries displayed rectangular, band-like and patterned characteristics consistent with impact from a belt-like object, Detective Balders wrote.
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This has fueled debate over their impact on the game, with some viewers complaining about being exposed to commercials during the three-minute stoppages.
Noun
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Deadheading helps redirect energy to the plant, improving overall vigor and reducing disease risk.
-
The crowd shook her car with such vigor that the 23-year-old Westminster resident couldn’t turn up the music like people shouted at her to do.
Noun
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While dealing real damage, Moscow’s ability to adapt has prevented Ukraine’s drone campaign from dealing the decisive blow Kyiv’s allies had hoped.
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Apple could still handle the iPhone differently by raising only Pro model prices, adjusting storage tiers, leaning on carrier promotions or pushing trade-in offers harder to soften the blow.
Noun
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Sure enough, all tires were up and there were no obvious punctures or hissing sounds.
-
Strike suffered a broken leg and a series of puncture wounds, WECT reports.
Verb
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Kara and Ruthye figure out the Brigands are trafficking young women for dastardly purposes, giving them yet another reason to smack some dudes around.
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Schwarber was able to work a walk, and then Derek Hill, another pinch hitter, came up and smacked a home run that gave Philadelphia the lead in a win over the Nationals.
Cite this Entry
“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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