1
as in fine
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 punishment
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 disadvantage
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of penalty
The commission’s citations report shows PG&E has been hit with millions of fines over wildfires, but no apparent penalties related to substation maintenance issues.
—
Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Bad decisions and bad penalties turned what could have been a great road trip into a so-so one in the Bruins’ trip finale in Seattle on Tuesday.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
There are no penalties in place for users or their families, but everyone in Australia who wants to use social media could have to submit to a fairly onerous series of age verifications—for instance, uploading a video selfie that will be analyzed by artificial intelligence.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
He’s also become one of the key figures on the NHL’s second-best penalty kill.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penalty
Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Bad decisions and bad penalties turned what could have been a great road trip into a so-so one in the Bruins’ trip finale in Seattle on Tuesday.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
There are no penalties in place for users or their families, but everyone in Australia who wants to use social media could have to submit to a fairly onerous series of age verifications—for instance, uploading a video selfie that will be analyzed by artificial intelligence.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
He’s also become one of the key figures on the NHL’s second-best penalty kill.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penalty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalty
Noun
-
There's no deadline for the bloc to resolve the case, which could end in either X pledging to change its behavior or a hefty fine.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In a comparable case in the United States in 2023, a federal judge imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm after ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Thompson had his original death sentence overturned and a new punishment trial was held in November 2005.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Thompson’s original death sentence was later overturned, but a jury again sentenced him to die by lethal injection following a new punishment trial in November 2005.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Does that put you at a disadvantage in terms of the speed of it?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
-
But having to pivot tactically in Europe competition, in which Jaissle’s team were often at a technical disadvantage, helped prepare him for his new role.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Court records indicate the case went to trial in 2017 and the jury found that while Page was negligent, that negligence was not the cause of damages suffered by Miller.—
Clark Kauffman,
Des Moines Register,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Texas Business Courts were created in 2024 to take on complex business litigation in cases seeking more than $5 million in damages.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And farther north along Gleason Beach in Sonoma County, rapid erosion finally forced officials in 2020 to move a section of the road inland, to further avoid the ocean’s wrath.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The mood in the crowd was widespread anger and sadness — recalling the same outpour of wrath that shook the city for weeks after the killing of George Floyd in 2020, although without the widespread rioting that had occurred then.—
Jack Brook,
Twin Cities,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For the full year 2026, the team expects total expenses to be between $162 billion and $169 billion, significantly above the $150 billion analyst estimate.—
,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Building a website, creating professional product imagery, testing ideas, and running marketing campaigns can all be done without agencies or large upfront expenses.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalty. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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