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
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 7 July 2025
In Wyoming, workers pled guilty to animal cruelty after they were exposed punching piglets and kicking them like soccer balls.
—Will Potter
july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
PC Magazine, 9 July 2025
Even at full price, the DJI Mini 4K punches well above its weight.
—Chris McMullen, Space.com, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch
Verb
After failing to post his $17,500 bond, police said Klein woke up from a nap on Friday and allegedly became very combative, punching a security camera in his holding cell at the police department.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 7 July 2025
In Wyoming, workers pled guilty to animal cruelty after they were exposed punching piglets and kicking them like soccer balls.
—Will Potter
july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
Noun
Samsung also dropped the under-display technology for a regular old punch hole.
—PC Magazine, 9 July 2025
Even at full price, the DJI Mini 4K punches well above its weight.
—Chris McMullen, Space.com, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch
Verb
-
In recent days, Trump has slapped tariffs of at least 20% set to begin Aug. 1 on more than a dozen countries.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
-
Canada previously retaliated against tariffs with levies on U.S. goods, slapping tariffs on $20.7 billion of goods in March as well as 25% tariffs on non-USMCA compliant autos in April.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
With Matt Brash on the mound for the Mariners, Stanton drilled a two-run homer.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
11 July 2025
-
James struck again, drilling a three-pointer over Cooper, drawing cheers from the fans.—
Broderick Turner
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Have a great day, drive safely, and enjoy the ride, as the future looks nice and bright – Tony the Car Guy.—
Tony Leopardo,
Mercury News,
13 July 2025
-
The incident, which occurred in June, is part of a growing trend of scams -- some of them driven by artificial intelligence -- targeting government officials and their staff through impersonation schemes.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
In 1648, a group of English Puritans set sail from Bermuda to avoid religious persecution only to smack into Devil’s Backbone reef.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
9 July 2025
-
Standing all of 4-foot-5 and weighing 63 pounds, Indie-Reign routinely smacks the ball about 170 yards off the tee.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
With piercing honesty and raw emotion, Jean Smart delivers a powerful monologue in Call Me Izzy, a new play written by Jamie Wax and directed by Sarna Lapine.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
-
The hot nights pierced with cold decisions on young men’s futures.—
Devon Henderson,
Oc Register,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
The chef retired a few years ago, but his son Hiroyuki Sakamoto is running the kitchen now.—
Amber Gibson,
Travel + Leisure,
15 July 2025
-
Black flies can travel for miles and can be found anywhere there are running streams or rivers nearby, even in urban areas.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
While hitting 350 homers is a feat in itself, Judge reached the mark more quickly than former slugger Mark McGwire.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
-
The Padres took a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning when Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a one-out single, moved to third on a single by Luis Arraez and scored on a sacrifice fly by Machado.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
The hard foul came after Sheldon poked Clark in the eye in the third quarter.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
-
The couple began dating in 2023 and frequently poke fun at each other on their social media pages.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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