1
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
after the man had punched the bartender for eighty-sixing him, bouncers stepped in and restrained him until the police could arrive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in
punch a ticket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in impact
the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect
the real punch of the speech came in its closing lines
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in vigor
active strength of body or mind
we're going to need a candidate with real punch if voters are ever going to get excited about this election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the poor palooka wasn't able to land a single punch on his opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in puncture
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument
old computers used to get information by reading the punches on a series of cards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of punch
Megan Forrester, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2025
The Texas high school soccer UIL state semifinals are here, and several Fort Worth-area teams are looking to punch their tickets to a state championship.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2025
Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
Laos’ Tam Mak Hoong is similar to Som Tum but often packs a spicier punch.
—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch
Verb
The video shows one adult falling to the ground, with a woman jumping on top of that individual and repeatedly punching him.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2025
The Texas high school soccer UIL state semifinals are here, and several Fort Worth-area teams are looking to punch their tickets to a state championship.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
But a recent spike in gas prices may deliver a one-two punch to customers this spring, bringing home the longer-term impact of the rate increase that the utility downplayed when the gas costs were lower.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
Laos’ Tam Mak Hoong is similar to Som Tum but often packs a spicier punch.
—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch
Verb
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That proved a terrible bet for the Ukrainians, since the likelihood of Putin entering peace talks when tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers were occupying a piece of Mother Russia was about as low as the S&P 500 doubling in value after Trump slapped tariffs on everybody.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
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The conversation between the Beijing administration and the EU chief takes place after Washington last Wednesday slapped China and the EU with reciprocal tariffs of 34% and 20%, respectively.—
Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger,John Melloy,Ruxandra Iordache,Christina Wilkie,Erin Doherty,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There's no holes to be drilled to fit the accessories; their installation is completely reversable.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
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There's no holes to be drilled to fit the accessories; their installation is completely reversable.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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It’s built strong enough to drive a car across, Duplechan said, not to mention hold a dance party.—
David Caraccio,
Sacramento Bee,
22 Mar. 2025
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The publication of children’s magazine content on science may have driven some of this research.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Pennsylvania’s drift to the right was the fourth largest of the seven, smack in the middle.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
4 Apr. 2025
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Still, the Yankees managed to make things interesting in the ninth inning, as Volpe smacked a three-run homer off Arizona lefty A.J. Puk to cut the deficit to one.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The five-year-old ear-piercing studio is opening a fleet of units this year both in new and existing markets, bringing its store count to 40 by the end of the year.—
Layla Ilchi,
WWD,
21 Feb. 2025
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Even the high end feels woozy and drowned, like foliage piercing a melting frost.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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His parents, who tell THR their son is taking the abrupt introduction to fame in stride, perch nearby, ready to run him home after the shoot.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
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Regardless of whether it is run by M+ or the HKMOA, transparency is important to both the art community and taxpayers.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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With all the injuries hitting the Nuggets, Gordon has been a go-to player for the team.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
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Meanwhile, Lebanon's state news agency said Israeli artillery hit two towns in southern Lebanon and that three other towns close to the border were hit by airstrikes.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The success of Deadpool & Wolverine was a bright spot in 2024, but that movie soared to success in part by poking fun at Marvel's failings.—
Eliana Dockterman,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
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Others, of course, love the show's ability to poke fun at the cultural and political zeitgeist of the moment.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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