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
Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 12 May 2026
But a recent Washington Post investigation revealed that staff have punched, kicked, restrained, fired pepper spray and tased people in their facilities nationwide.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2026
Brennan Long, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
The Sixers had already thrown their best punch.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for punch
Verb
To run a program, the code had to first be punched into paper tape; a hole represented a 1, and no hole represented a 0, corresponding to the two units of binary code, which most computers work with.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 12 May 2026
But a recent Washington Post investigation revealed that staff have punched, kicked, restrained, fired pepper spray and tased people in their facilities nationwide.
—Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2026
Noun
Peppery jelly adds a spicy-sweet punch to a classic summer appetizer.
—Brennan Long, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
The Sixers had already thrown their best punch.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch
Verb
-
The same day that the nanny allegedly beat Walter, other caregivers slapped and flogged his siblings, including with shoes and wooden sticks.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Koss, getting just his 14th plate appearance of the season, was drilled in the left shoulder area in the bottom of the ninth by Pittsburgh’s Cam Sanders and removed from the ballgame.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
10 May 2026
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Johannes then drilled a transition 3-pointer that got the home crowd fired up, though the Sun still managed to outscore the Liberty 23-21 in the third.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Verb
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For instance, researchers found that rapid urbanization and electrification across Asia drove brightening in cities from China to India to Sub-Saharan Africa.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
The novel starts out on a highway, in a car that’s driving too fast.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Adams, who lived in Diggs' home while working for him, walked into the Dedham police station on December 16 alleging that two weeks earlier, Diggs had smacked her across the face and choked her.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
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Ruiz, making his fourth start, has hit two home runs in 14 Marlins plate appearances after smacking seven in his first 621 in the big leagues.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
This tank, more than any of its Allied counterparts, sent German designers back to the drawing board to produce the next generation of tanks that featured heavier armor and higher-velocity cannons with greater range and armor-piercing capability.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
-
In Inverted Tree, Man for Hire (2004), for example, the trunk of a wily branched tree bears a piercing gaze.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Here’s one of several places where Footer’s biography runs into problems.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Enter this breathable maxi dress, which is comfortable and functional enough to run errands in, while still being stylish enough for hosting brunch or packing for a beach vacation.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Sloane, who has increased his fastball velocity by over 10 mph since last spring and now reaches 90, hit the gym hard.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
During their semifinal win over Wisconsin, the Bruins hit four home runs and pushed their NCAA record single-season team home run total to 181.—
Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Aggressive bears are known to stalk, claw and even bite tourists in Great Smoky National Park, but rangers say one recent encounter involved a bear poking a hiker with its big wet nose.—
Mark Price
May 12,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
-
Many curious passersby poked their heads inside, wondering if the restaurant was serving food again.—
Iris Kwok
May 12,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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