as in punished
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
the player was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct
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Recent Examples of penalized
You may also be penalized, unable to apply for Medicaid for a certain period.
—
Medora Lee, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
For one, a team could be penalized for being overly aggressive in pursuit of a desperation comeback late in a contest and seeing an 11-point loss turn into a 16-point defeat, though that sounds more like the actions of a non-lottery team, anyway.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
Those efforts have been hindered by federal court lawsuits that allege Rubio's determinations penalized the activists' free speech.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers without a CDL will be penalized with a $50,000 fine.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Sunday saw many laggards penalized for failure to obey the national summons.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Under California law, prisoners seeking parole may not be penalized for failing to admit wrongdoing, so Kovacich’s claim of innocence was not used against him, Tellman said.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
The White House also penalized India, one of the biggest buyers of Russian crude in recent years.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Generally speaking, courts have ruled against people who violate a religious-neutral law while practicing their religion, including a notable 1990 case that found a man’s religious peyote use could still be penalized under an Oregon law forbidding it.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Medora Lee, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
For one, a team could be penalized for being overly aggressive in pursuit of a desperation comeback late in a contest and seeing an 11-point loss turn into a 16-point defeat, though that sounds more like the actions of a non-lottery team, anyway.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
Those efforts have been hindered by federal court lawsuits that allege Rubio's determinations penalized the activists' free speech.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers without a CDL will be penalized with a $50,000 fine.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Sunday saw many laggards penalized for failure to obey the national summons.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Under California law, prisoners seeking parole may not be penalized for failing to admit wrongdoing, so Kovacich’s claim of innocence was not used against him, Tellman said.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
The White House also penalized India, one of the biggest buyers of Russian crude in recent years.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Generally speaking, courts have ruled against people who violate a religious-neutral law while practicing their religion, including a notable 1990 case that found a man’s religious peyote use could still be penalized under an Oregon law forbidding it.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalized
punished
Verb
-
There is a risk you could be brought back to court and punished.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
-
If men do wrong, they get punished.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalized. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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