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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of penalty
The Kings also had inept special teams, ranking 28th in the NHL on the power play and 30th in penalty-killing.
—
Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
The embezzlement count has a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
Ran Binyamin, on the counter-attack, played an entry pass from near the top of the penalty arc to a charging Musa for a sliding first-touch finish from the right corner of the 6-yard box.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
There has still been plenty of drama, such as in 2013 when Hull went up in second despite missing a penalty and then conceding a last-minute equaliser at home to Cardiff City, Watford’s home defeat by Leeds eventually saving the blushes of spot-kick taker Nick Proschwitz.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for penalty
Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
The embezzlement count has a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
Ran Binyamin, on the counter-attack, played an entry pass from near the top of the penalty arc to a charging Musa for a sliding first-touch finish from the right corner of the 6-yard box.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
There has still been plenty of drama, such as in 2013 when Hull went up in second despite missing a penalty and then conceding a last-minute equaliser at home to Cardiff City, Watford’s home defeat by Leeds eventually saving the blushes of spot-kick taker Nick Proschwitz.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for penalty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalty
Noun
-
Musk and Tesla each had to pay $20 million in fines, and Musk had to temporarily relinquish his role as chairman of the company’s board.—
Lora Kolodny,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
-
Timely disclosures, automatic audits, and penalties that actually mean something, not small fines that get brushed off.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
In its decision, the court noted that the point of disciplinary action was not punishment, but to protect the public from further misconduct by an attorney and other attorneys.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The jury will decide his punishment.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However, there are disadvantages which include lack of job protection and insufficient wages that cover don’t on-the-job expenses.—
Helen Dennis,
Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
Bias asks whether the system perpetuates, amplifies, or introduces systematic disadvantage, including through feedback loops where biased outputs reinforce biased inputs.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
An army of lawyers showed up at a hearing Tuesday to iron out issues ahead of an upcoming trial to determine whether the owner and operator of the ship that struck the Key Bridge should be held liable for the full damages caused by the tragedy.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
-
Musk is asking the court to unwind OpenAI’s conversion, remove Altman and Brock, and award him up to a hundred and fifty billion dollars (no typo) in damages.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Or risk the wrath of being on the wrong side.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
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
-
If a drug retails for $100 and a hospital can buy it for $60, then charges the patient or their insurance the full $100 price, the hospital then has $40 to put toward other expenses.—
Dené K. Dryden,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
Winner is responsible for all applicable federal, state and local taxes, if any, as well as any other costs and expenses associated with Prize acceptance and use not specified herein as being provided.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalty. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
