punch 1 of 3

Definition of punchnext

punch

2 of 3

noun (1)

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
3
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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of punch
Verb
The moon itself looked impossibly dark — a black void punched into the sky — surrounded by the pearly white corona. Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Near the end, police said Ayres appeared to grab Dunn by the hair and punch her in the face, knocking her down. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
Conversely, Hafley has said that any Dolphins player who throws a punch will be thrown out of practice. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026 What quickly emerges, is Jackson’s talent for bringing comedic punch to each character. Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch
Verb
  • European energy prices rose drastically in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as Western governments slapped Moscow with sanctions and looked for alternative sources of oil and gas.
    Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
  • After making the grab, Allen celebrated briefly, then slapped hands with Delane.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • And when teammate Harrison Butker drilled a 69-yard field goal, Mahomes literally jumped for joy during the game in Tampa, Florida.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The result was the equivalent of an X-ray of the subsurface extending roughly 300 feet underground, without drilling a single hole.
    Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Recordings of Rajab’s call with paramedics gained international attention, driving calls for accountability for her killing and that of thousands of other children in Gaza.
    Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, also released Friday, showed greater pessimism about the economy this month, likely driven by stubbornly high prices.
    CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • And how much of a team’s ranking is based on program history versus the number of returning starters — or perhaps the impact of portal recruits and/or true freshmen?
    Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • From DiPietro on out, to defenseman Frederic Brunet to Fraser Minten to Marat Khusnutdinov to the club’s top prospect James Hagens, those players will have to have positive impacts if this team is to compete in the deadly Atlantic Division.
    Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Kittle, seven weeks since tearing his right Achilles in a wild-card playoff win at Philadelphia, was seen conditioning with vigor and impressive agility on a side field earlier this week.
    Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Lastly, to dull the war-mongering vigor of the Rivermen, Ormund installs small, scared little boys, ripped from their homes, all along the chemin de ronde — a baby human shield for Ser Daeron the Daring’s great army.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Ferran Torres Torres was not the first-choice striker for Spain at the World Cup, but that did not stop him from landing the decisive blow after his team-mates had spent 106 minutes dominating Argentina without a breakthrough.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • But the federal agency that has required companies to collect and report demographic workforce data since 1966 is now working to end that practice, a move some critics say would be a huge blow to civil rights enforcement.
    Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Patients should put any items in a leak-proof, puncture-resistant container, such as a laundry detergent bottle.
    Noelle Lilley, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The leak-proof, puncture-resistant container should then be thrown in the trash, not recycled or flushed down a toilet.
    Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Other gamblers just don’t want to get swindled, so anything that smacks too clearly of insider trading can get you in trouble.
    Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Nevertheless, the upper stage smacked into Earth’s only natural satellite at seven times the speed of sound on August 5.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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