1
as in slapped
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 drilled
to make a hole or series of holes in
punch a ticket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 punched
Sherrie James, a Houston resident, told local news outlet KHOU 11 that a possible meteorite, remnants from the meteor that was spotted, punched a hole through her ceiling and landed in one of the upstairs bedrooms in her home.
—
Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
The kick, from 30 yards out on the left side, was punched over the crossbar by Joshua keeper Maverick Ramsey.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Mar. 2026
Outrage is growing after a school crossing guard was punched and knocked unconscious in front of children earlier this week in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
The senior was even more delighted to add a championship hat to her new collection after winning the Big East Tournament, and the team gave her the honor of placing the logo sticker on the NCAA Tournament ticket poster that officially punched UConn’s bid.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2026
The two were among the final teams to have their ticket punched to the Big Dance.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Here are the winners that punched their tickets to March Madness.
—Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Another Baker family member tried to stop the fight, but she was also punched several times by Harper, deputies said.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
Californians feel more pain at the pump No other state is getting punched harder than California as the conflict with Iran pushes up gas prices, my colleague Iris Kwok reports.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
The kick, from 30 yards out on the left side, was punched over the crossbar by Joshua keeper Maverick Ramsey.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Mar. 2026
Outrage is growing after a school crossing guard was punched and knocked unconscious in front of children earlier this week in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
The senior was even more delighted to add a championship hat to her new collection after winning the Big East Tournament, and the team gave her the honor of placing the logo sticker on the NCAA Tournament ticket poster that officially punched UConn’s bid.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2026
The two were among the final teams to have their ticket punched to the Big Dance.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Here are the winners that punched their tickets to March Madness.
—Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Another Baker family member tried to stop the fight, but she was also punched several times by Harper, deputies said.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
Californians feel more pain at the pump No other state is getting punched harder than California as the conflict with Iran pushes up gas prices, my colleague Iris Kwok reports.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punched
Verb
-
Williams then flailed his arms behind him and slapped Doncic in the throat.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Anduril has also signed deals with companies in Japan and South Korea, as well as the government of Taiwan; that last partnership caught the ire of Beijing, which slapped sanctions on both Anduril and Luckey last year.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
About 2 minutes and 40 seconds into the fight, Grasso drilled Barber in the head with a left hook, knocking her out.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Corjay gathered the rebound and drilled a 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining for the game-winner.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The news of potential negotiations drove down the price of oil.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
An officer of the Alvarado Police Department drove up, got out of his car, and drew his weapon.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When Zuccarello took a swipe with his stick and smacked McCarron in the leg, the big man responded with a Oscar-worthy acting job, feigning like he had been slashed on the wrist.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Krogstad smacked two doubles and drove in three runs.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The bullet that struck McKay passed through his arm, pierced his torso and struck his heart inside the Key Gardens burger joint, on Metropolitan Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
When mixture returns to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook potatoes until they can be pierced with a fork but do not fall apart, about 10 minutes.—
C.W. Cameron,
AJC.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In 2007, after reporting from the Tampa Bay Times, a grand jury investigated Pinellas County buying land from the property appraiser; that grand jury’s 22-page report was critical of how the office was run.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But Maples, and another Republican running for the Florida Senate, Brian Nathan, lost to Democrats in the latest sign that Democrats are performing well in traditional Republican strongholds.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After a review, it was decided that Raddysh was knocked to the ice and into the crease, prohibiting Vasilevskiy from a possible save.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
But reports that Iran had responded negatively to the proposal briefly knocked index futures off their pre-market highs and lifted oil prices off their morning lows.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Since then, the president has repeatedly poked at the vulnerability.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Many spectators poked fun at the efforts of Chicago police to confiscate and collect BORGs in viral posts over the weekend.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punched. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
