punched

verb

past tense of punch
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

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2
as in drilled
to make a hole or series of holes in punch a ticket

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in drove
to urge, push, or force onward cowboys punching cattle

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 punched The 25-year-old who was punched refused medical attention at the scene. — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 The Rays punched their ticket to baseball’s biggest stage with a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, taking the best-of-seven series four games to two. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026 After the meeting was over, words were exchanged, and Powell said Escobar punched him in the groin. — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 As for the crack, well, that happened by accident when heavy equipment punched through a concrete wall and unintentionally punctured the sphere, company officials told The Mountaineer. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026 Ordinary except, of course, for that time humans punched it, opening the door for the Hera mission to explore the previously unremarkable rocks. — Meghan Bartels, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026 During the October 11 flight to NYC, Blair allegedly punched and bit two flight attendants. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026 As Chubb was talking to other Rams players at midfield, Jackson walked up to the defender and punched him in the face. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 As first reported by TMZ and confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, Blair allegedly punched a flight attendant and bit another. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punched
  1. slapped
  2. drilled
  3. drove
  4. smacked
  5. pierced
  6. ran
  7. knocked
  8. poked
Verb
  • The Fresh Prince comment referred, unintentionally or not, to the infamous 2022 Oscar-night moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face after the latter made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Antetokounmpo wasted no time in starting to rave about the Heat culture, a phrase that has become a lightning rod for criticism from talking heads around the NBA — especially after the franchise slapped the word across shirts and jerseys.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of slapped
Verb
  • Broncos kicker Wil Lutz drilled a 53-yard field goal in overtime to elevate Denver to a 17-14 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Just two years ago, in 2024, Schmidt and the Trades Council were on opposite sides of a different ballot measure proposal — one over an oil industry effort to repeal a law banning oil and gas wells from being drilled too close to parks and schools.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of drilled
Verb
  • The homeowner didn’t charge him rent, and the truck Buchanan drove was a gift, the woman told agents.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • An Australian data center operator’s profit warning drove its stock down as much as 44%, while dozens of large facilities have been blocked or delayed in the US this year by opposition from locals.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of drove
Verb
  • Wilson rocked the stanchion with a ferocious dunk in transition in the fourth quarter, only to have his next attempt at a full-court sprint smacked away by Jamal Shead, leading to a Leonard 3-pointer on the other end.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Eagles also have been smacked with injuries and played without several key starters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of smacked
Verb
  • Cook for 20 minutes, or until the squash falls apart when pierced with a fork.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The exhibition layout, conceived by French designer Pascal Rodriguez, unfolds across four successive spaces, separated by partition walls pierced by large circular openings at their centers.
    — Sarah Belmont for ArtNews, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of pierced
Verb
  • Hyperscalers will spend $800 billion this year on chips, data centers, and the power to run them, propping up GDP growth.
    — Ming Lu, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • At the racetrack, the horses ran, and Crawford hosted members at the Ruidoso Jockey Club, where private tables cost as much as six figures.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of ran
Verb
  • NorCal Resist posted footage of the collision to their social media pages, showing a man, Antonio Moreida, being knocked to the ground.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Council was referring to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when Bryant, on the first possession of a group-stage game against Spain, ran through a screen set by then-Lakers teammate Pau Gasol and knocked him to the floor.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of knocked
Verb
  • Kessler, standing nearby during Williams’ postgame news conference, poked his head out from behind a black curtain and gave his teammate a thumbs-up.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Already poked, the league bear hasn’t exactly gone into hibernation, either.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of poked

Browse Nearby Words

punch-drunk
punched
punched out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Punched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punched. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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