1
as in fines
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 punishments
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 disadvantages
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
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Recent Examples of penalties
Three of the last four meetings ended 1-1 after regulation time, including the AFCON semi-final in January 2024, where Nigeria prevailed on penalties.
—
Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Two pass interference flags skewed those numbers — their nine penalties were not a record under Sirianni, although their six defensive penalties tied for the most — but it was not lost on Sirianni that all Cowboys scoring drives included an Eagles penalty.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
If the spit is tied to an infectious disease — such as hepatitis, TB, or COVID-19 — it can be considered a greater threat and result in harsher penalties.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
Lawmakers and voters approved stiffer criminal penalties for smaller levels of theft and larger organized crime.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Yet, none has faced penalties like India.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
The order prevents city departments and personnel from enforcing the laws of outside jurisdictions that impose criminal penalties against providers offering medical intervention to transgender patients.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
At age 59 ½, the early-withdrawal penalties go away.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
Washington has no vote in Congress, no control over its National Guard, and no ability to set its own traffic laws, marijuana regulations or carjacking penalties without the prospect of congressional interference.
—Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Two pass interference flags skewed those numbers — their nine penalties were not a record under Sirianni, although their six defensive penalties tied for the most — but it was not lost on Sirianni that all Cowboys scoring drives included an Eagles penalty.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
If the spit is tied to an infectious disease — such as hepatitis, TB, or COVID-19 — it can be considered a greater threat and result in harsher penalties.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
Lawmakers and voters approved stiffer criminal penalties for smaller levels of theft and larger organized crime.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Yet, none has faced penalties like India.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
The order prevents city departments and personnel from enforcing the laws of outside jurisdictions that impose criminal penalties against providers offering medical intervention to transgender patients.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
At age 59 ½, the early-withdrawal penalties go away.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
Washington has no vote in Congress, no control over its National Guard, and no ability to set its own traffic laws, marijuana regulations or carjacking penalties without the prospect of congressional interference.
—Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalties
Noun
-
All told, Norfolk Southern shelled out well north of $1 billion in settlements, fines, and other fees to clean up in and around East Palestine.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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The administration has griped about the large fines that the EU has levied as a result of their privacy laws and antitrust laws that are significantly more stringent and enforced more frequently in Europe than in the United States.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Players hold the right to appeal their punishments.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Kentucky is not the only state with a law allowing for harsher punishments for offenders with felony histories.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
All in all, the advantages of focusing on improving internal data and infrastructure outweigh the disadvantages that come from relying on an external LLM—for now.—
Emily Acton,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Both China and the United States have advantages and disadvantages in this strategic competition.—
SADEK WAHBA,
Foreign Affairs,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Using Economic Policy Institute data, Investopedia calculates $650,000 to cover childcare, transportation, meals, and other expenses, with college costs exceeding $230,000 for two children.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Active cooling systems, such as fans or fluid circulation, add to the complexity, initial capital cost, and ongoing maintenance expenses of a solar installation.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penalties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalties. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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