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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of punches
Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
All three appear to assessing damage and talking before Riley punches a rear quarter window on Barber's vehicle, the complaint said.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
After letting other fast men hit out first in the wind, Magnier punches through the middle and there is nothing that rivals Jordi Meeus or Jasper Philipsen can do.
—Andy McGrath, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Hong Kong’s Mighty Mini-Island Cheung Chau, the pint-sized powerhouse of an island, punches well above its weight in charm and chill vibes.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2026
But for a city of under 60,000 year-round residents, this place punches well above its weight class.
—Brad Japhe, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
Kingsley Ibeh, right, punches Jarrell Miller during a heavyweight boxing match in New York City on Saturday.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 1 Feb. 2026
For podcasts, streams, voiceovers and video calls, this unit punches above its weight.
—New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
This is really reminding me of that House episode where the runway model punches another model out and then collapses on the catwalk.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2026
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
The retro thing isn’t for everyone, but The Violet Mindfield certainly didn’t pull its punches.
—Ramon Ramirez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s only one town, San Pedro, with colorful waterfront restaurants and breezy beach bars perfect for sunset rum punches.
—Annie Daly, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
The two programs continued to trade punches until the half, with the Spartans maintaining a 21-17 edge at intermission.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
And the food scene — from mofongo to fresh ceviche — punches well above what most beach destinations offer, giving your family a chance to try something new together without breaking the bank at every meal.
—Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
The beaches at Condado and Isla Verde are gorgeous, and the food scene — from mofongo to fresh ceviche — punches well above what most beach destinations offer.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
Easily annoyed, the driver keeps giving punches to the center of the steering wheel.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
Gerson chased Lyanco; the two then exchanged punches.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
One man repeatedly punches a man lying on the ground while another man appears to hold his feet.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
All three appear to assessing damage and talking before Riley punches a rear quarter window on Barber's vehicle, the complaint said.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
After letting other fast men hit out first in the wind, Magnier punches through the middle and there is nothing that rivals Jordi Meeus or Jasper Philipsen can do.
—Andy McGrath, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Hong Kong’s Mighty Mini-Island Cheung Chau, the pint-sized powerhouse of an island, punches well above its weight in charm and chill vibes.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2026
But for a city of under 60,000 year-round residents, this place punches well above its weight class.
—Brad Japhe, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
Kingsley Ibeh, right, punches Jarrell Miller during a heavyweight boxing match in New York City on Saturday.
—Isabel Yip, NBC news, 1 Feb. 2026
For podcasts, streams, voiceovers and video calls, this unit punches above its weight.
—New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
This is really reminding me of that House episode where the runway model punches another model out and then collapses on the catwalk.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
Tenacious defense and timely free-throw shooting from David and junior Cooper Ellwood sealed the title for Rock Canyon, as star big Kai Valentine tackled junior Jonah Medina after the buzzer and threw a few gleeful fake punches at his chest.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
The retro thing isn’t for everyone, but The Violet Mindfield certainly didn’t pull its punches.
—Ramon Ramirez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
There’s only one town, San Pedro, with colorful waterfront restaurants and breezy beach bars perfect for sunset rum punches.
—Annie Daly, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
The two programs continued to trade punches until the half, with the Spartans maintaining a 21-17 edge at intermission.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
And the food scene — from mofongo to fresh ceviche — punches well above what most beach destinations offer, giving your family a chance to try something new together without breaking the bank at every meal.
—Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
The beaches at Condado and Isla Verde are gorgeous, and the food scene — from mofongo to fresh ceviche — punches well above what most beach destinations offer.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
Easily annoyed, the driver keeps giving punches to the center of the steering wheel.
—Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026
Gerson chased Lyanco; the two then exchanged punches.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punches
Verb
-
Think Nvidia’s new feature that slaps an AI filter onto your favorite games looks like garbage?—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Nahill is even featured in a video, indulgently attempting to snack on a donut, before Tyson, now a de facto spokesperson for HHS’ healthy foods initiatives, slaps it out of his hand.—
Chelsea Cirruzzo,
STAT,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Another Arsenal goal kick and Raya, after a customary bit of stud cleaning, drills the ball long.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Wingo and Mosley are both recovering from some nagging injuries suffered during 2025 and haven’t fully participated in offseason team drills.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) drives to the paint against Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Dallas.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
In our communities, and even in our families, tribalism drives us not merely to disagree with but to despise one another.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Jerusalem, timid about the prospect of a land invasion, can only respond with more airstrikes until the regime hits its breaking point and the people rise up.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Lexus always hits the 3 Ss for SUV consumers – sportiness, style and storage – and the RX350 is no different.—
Marc D. Grasso,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Its 1959 Googie-style sign pierces the sky, a beacon of hope for weary road-trippers cruising this achingly lonely stretch of highway.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Lower the heat to medium-high and cook, gently stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and a paring knife easily pierces a potato, about 15 minutes.—
C.W. Cameron,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The South African competition framework was one of the biggest barriers to MTN’s pursuit of Telkom, the third largest network which also runs the biggest fiber optic network in Africa’s biggest economy.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
That process is instead governed by your state's statute of limitations on debt, which is a separate clock that typically runs between three and 10 years, depending on the state and the type of debt.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kinda knocks your to-do list down a few pegs, no?—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
18 Mar. 2026
-
In the event Borges knocks it out of the park and a high-profile team in Europe comes calling for him, Sporting KC may convert 95% of the sale proceeds into GAM; that would held KC continue strengthening its roster.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The penetration holes indicate that the internal facility is likely bombed out, destroying anything that was inside.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
-
How to Limit Attraction Sealing unwanted tiny cracks, gaps in doors or windows, or utility lines, and holes around the home is one of the best ways to prevent ants from gaining access in the first place.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punches. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
