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
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Recent Examples of penalty
The state already has the power to deny rate increases, impose penalties for excess profits of insurance companies and to use existing revenue from fees paid for by drivers to investigate and prosecute fraud.
—
Allysson Bornt, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Jones, winner of the first two stages, had to serve a pass-through penalty for a tire violation during his stop and lost the chance to win.
—Reid Spencer, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2026
Withdrawals from Roth accounts are tax- and penalty-free as long as your're 59-1/2 years or older and the money has been held in the account at least five years.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
The penalty wasn’t initially called, but Video Assistant Referee intervened and overturned it.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penalty
Allysson Bornt, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Jones, winner of the first two stages, had to serve a pass-through penalty for a tire violation during his stop and lost the chance to win.
—Reid Spencer, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2026
Withdrawals from Roth accounts are tax- and penalty-free as long as your're 59-1/2 years or older and the money has been held in the account at least five years.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
The penalty wasn’t initially called, but Video Assistant Referee intervened and overturned it.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penalty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalty
Noun
-
Brady, who apologized in court for his actions, was sentenced to 12 months court supervision, $800 in court costs and fines and ordered to have no contact with La Ha, her family, home or place of employment.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Technical fouls come with a $2,500 fine.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Lawmakers that year also changed Colorado law to prohibit such punishment.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
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Jurors will now decide Horner’s punishment.—
Jamie Stengle,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The era of the concert hall was at hand, and the same qualities that had made the mandolin attractive at home now put it at a disadvantage.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
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Those will be difficult headwinds for Whatley to combat, Bitzer and Roberts both said, especially since members of the sitting president’s party already tend to be at a disadvantage in competitive midterm elections.—
Mary Ramsey
April 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Taking time before a storm arrives to unplug the right appliances and household items can be the difference between weathering the storm safely and thousands of dollars in damages.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
22 Apr. 2026
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On Tuesday a civil jury concluded that Lodes resigned involuntarily due to his reporting of a hostile workplace and was awarded the multimillion-dollar payment as compensation for his emotional damages.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Or risk the wrath of being on the wrong side.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Apr. 2026
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The immediate object of Uthmeier’s wrath is the Rooney Rule, voluntarily adopted more than two decades ago by the NFL to ensure that minority candidates are interviewed for coaching positions.—
Howard L. Simon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some small businesses can handle bookkeeping with spreadsheets, DIY invoicing and ad-hoc expense approvals.—
Dana Miranda,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
-
That same month, the price of Bitcoin — in which most of Borhanian’s life savings was invested, money that was covering much of the group’s expenses at that time — cratered.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalty. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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