1
as in slaps
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 drills
to make a hole or series of holes in
punch a ticket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in blows
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 punctures
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 punches
Sean Gregory,
Time,
30 June 2026
Humble and simple, this Tomato-Basil Chicken punches way above its weight.
—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
28 June 2026
One area where the EM11 NL punches above its weight is connectivity.
—
Sascha Brodsky,
PC Magazine,
21 June 2026
In the 2015 track, Sonya’s boyfriend finds them by the pool and starts cussing them out, pushing Coley to the ground, who, in turn, punches him.
—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Food and drink The restaurant is intimate, with seating for 40, but the food punches way above its weight.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
Many of these nations have spent years building a footballing infrastructure that punches well above their demographic weight.
—
Rebekah Evans,
TheWeek,
11 June 2026
During an intense scene, Simon punches a hole through a fellow actor’s face.
—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
3 June 2026
This clever drink holder is another sneaky space saver that punches way above its weight.
—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
1 June 2026
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Members of Rita's loyalty program who use the Rita’s Ice app will get double loyalty punches with a purchase of the treat.
—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
Classes typically cover correct stance, guard and foot positioning, basic punches and defensive movements like slips and rolls.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2026
Its 30mm drivers deliver balanced audio without distortion, and the sound quality punches way above its price point.
—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
26 June 2026
The Daily Mail reports that a woman dressed in a black strapless dress ducked under a line divider and started throwing punches at a woman in her pajamas.
—
Sean Joseph Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
The video then cuts to the attacker facing off with two men who have intervened, exchanging punches with one of them before running through the store with the men in pursuit.
—
Jazmin Alvarado,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2026
The Los Angeles singer-songwriter’s latest is a crisp and candid twee pop record with unexpected studio touches and gut punches.
—
Jude Noel,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
No such punches could be seen on the video.
—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Verb
Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau punches the ball clear as Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic attempts to head the ball during a World Cup ground-stage match in Toronto on June 12, 2026.
—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
30 June 2026
Humble and simple, this Tomato-Basil Chicken punches way above its weight.
—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
28 June 2026
One area where the EM11 NL punches above its weight is connectivity.
—
Sascha Brodsky,
PC Magazine,
21 June 2026
In the 2015 track, Sonya’s boyfriend finds them by the pool and starts cussing them out, pushing Coley to the ground, who, in turn, punches him.
—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Food and drink The restaurant is intimate, with seating for 40, but the food punches way above its weight.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
Many of these nations have spent years building a footballing infrastructure that punches well above their demographic weight.
—
Rebekah Evans,
TheWeek,
11 June 2026
During an intense scene, Simon punches a hole through a fellow actor’s face.
—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
3 June 2026
This clever drink holder is another sneaky space saver that punches way above its weight.
—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
1 June 2026
Noun
Rey exploded on Ethan with 10-count punches, but a tilt-a-whirl was countered by Page with a sitout faceplant.
—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Members of Rita's loyalty program who use the Rita’s Ice app will get double loyalty punches with a purchase of the treat.
—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
Classes typically cover correct stance, guard and foot positioning, basic punches and defensive movements like slips and rolls.
—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2026
Its 30mm drivers deliver balanced audio without distortion, and the sound quality punches way above its price point.
—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
26 June 2026
The Daily Mail reports that a woman dressed in a black strapless dress ducked under a line divider and started throwing punches at a woman in her pajamas.
—
Sean Joseph Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
The video then cuts to the attacker facing off with two men who have intervened, exchanging punches with one of them before running through the store with the men in pursuit.
—
Jazmin Alvarado,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2026
The Los Angeles singer-songwriter’s latest is a crisp and candid twee pop record with unexpected studio touches and gut punches.
—
Jude Noel,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
No such punches could be seen on the video.
—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punches
Verb
-
Wilhelm enters the room, removes most of his clothing and gets into bed with her, slaps her, pushes her away and then caresses her face and cradles her.
-
That direct relationship is what separates a true farm to table operation from a restaurant that simply slaps the phrase on a marketing page.
Verb
-
He is hyperfocused on details and drills home teaching points relentlessly.
-
The two countries conducted joint nuclear forces drills earlier this month.
Verb
-
By stripping out parts and, crucially, reducing the number of unique parts, the company shortens manufacturing time, raises reliability, and drives down cost, all at once.
-
Fire shelters are mandatory equipment for crews who work across rugged terrain where things can change at a moment’s notice, especially when extremely dry and windy weather drives the flames, as happened last Saturday.
Noun
-
Hers is a voice that ought to have a lifetime’s staying power, bolstered by a lyrical and musical sensibility that provide everything her instrument needs to deliver a happy succession of knockout blows.
-
Despite the blows to Eurovision’s finances and viewership from the boycott, the contest is eyeing expansion, with a spinoff Eurovision Song Contest Asia due to take place in Bangkok in November.
Noun
-
The boy bore no signs of scrapes or skin punctures, so the family initially didn’t take him for medical care.
-
Sure enough, all tires were up and there were no obvious punctures or hissing sounds.
Verb
-
Of course, the movie had to contend with the beloved Toy Story 5, and the staying power of recent horror hits like Obsession and Backrooms, so that at least explains it.
-
For a good deal on a budget gaming laptop, this 35% discount on the Asus TUF 16 hits the sweet spot.
Verb
-
And who the f--- pierces a 12 year old?
-
Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear.
Verb
-
There is almost no modern precedent (Steven Speilberg runs Amblin, a production company, not a studio arm.
-
The companies have so far reached settlements worth nearly $58 billion, according to a tally kept by Christine Minhee, who runs Opioid Settlement Tracker.
Cite this Entry
“Punches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punches. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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