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
Fran Littlewood
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
With Tatum, Haliburton and Lillard on the injury report for the foreseeable future, the Knicks are primed to punch through.
—Kristian Winfield, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2025
Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 27 June 2025
The pair of Broward County running backs will likely form the one-two punch for the Hurricanes this year.
Fletcher, entering his third season with the Hurricanes, recovered from a foot injury to be the No. 2 running back last season.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch
Verb
Raw, irreverent and funny as hell, this is a slim volume that punches powerfully.
—Fran Littlewood
june 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
With Tatum, Haliburton and Lillard on the injury report for the foreseeable future, the Knicks are primed to punch through.
—Kristian Winfield, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2025
Noun
But Martone is one of the very best prospects in this draft and gives the Flyers size, high-end skill (he’s got plus traits as a shooter, handler and playmaker), and a formidable one-two punch at right wing with Matvei Michkov.
—Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 27 June 2025
The pair of Broward County running backs will likely form the one-two punch for the Hurricanes this year.
Fletcher, entering his third season with the Hurricanes, recovered from a foot injury to be the No. 2 running back last season.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch
Verb
-
But, everyone's mostly aware, that many celebrities get five-figure treatments and then launch skincare lines, slapping their names on them.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
The product was fresh, the money real, and every A&R man from New York to Memphis knew the formula: Find a pretty face, slap a catchy chorus behind it, and watch the allowances roll in.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Trump also wrote on social media calling on the Department of Energy to drill quickly.—
Rachel Frazin,
The Hill,
23 June 2025
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There was Ben Sheppard drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the key as the third quarter expired that nearly blew the roof off the Fieldhouse.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
Preventing the spread of marijuana laced with chemicals is one of the driving factors behind Tyson's push for federal reform.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
-
Official data from April show that the number of Canadians driving across the border had dropped 35 percent from the previous year.—
Stephen Marche,
The Atlantic,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Anyone who attended the National Restaurant Show in Chicago last month was smacked in the face at booth after booth by a single agenda wrought from desperation: how to harness technology to find ways to use fewer human workers.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
-
Please Tony, stop smacking your lips after every sentence.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 June 2025
Verb
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She was found on the ground near the lifeguard stand with an umbrella stake that had pierced the front of her left shoulder and was sticking out the back of her arm by about 1 foot, Asbury Park Fire Chief Kevin Keddy told ABC News.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
25 June 2025
-
The scepter pierced the ground of the Huanacaure mountain, and so rose the glimmering empire of Cuzco.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
The official compared Stefanik to current Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin, who ran unsuccessfully against Hochul in 2022, rising to a Cabinet position despite his relatively narrow loss.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
22 June 2025
-
Our 6,000 members — and tens of thousands of New Yorkers — are practically running to the polls.—
Audrey Sasson,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2025
Verb
-
Bregman hit 11 home runs in 226 plate appearances, a rate of one every 20.5 at bats.—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
-
Earlier, in the fourth, Chisholm hit his fourth homer in his last five games.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Progress with Canada has been a roller coaster, with the U.S. president poking at the nation’s northern neighbor and repeatedly suggesting it would be absorbed as a U.S. state.—
Michelle L. Price,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
-
Johnson immediately returned to social media Wednesday night to post a series of rambling videos discussing his arrest and seemingly poking at Rogan without addressing him directly.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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