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
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Seconds later, the man in a New York police vest punches the unidentified man in the face.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
But one of the most critical tests will come during reentry Friday, as the Orion space capsule punches through Earth's atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour, enduring temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Brendan Byrne, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026
Pros & Cons Vizio's Mini LED Quantum 4K QLED Smart TV punches far above its weight class.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The operator takes another swing, but the man ducks, punches the operator, then knocks him down, raining punches on his head before a bystander separates the two.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
And like his fiery sister, William punches his cousin dead in the face for being a punk.
—Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
The restaurant, from the great minds behind another local favorite of mine, The General Muir, punches way above its weight as a lean but mean stall inside Krog Street Market.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026
While the woman’s wrists are being held to her sides, Lentz punches her several times, the video shows.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
Benches cleared, and cooler heads did not prevail, though no punches were thrown.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Sakurai premiered his new trailer at CinemaCon, with fresh footage that showed plenty of epic kicks, punches and cool moves – as well as a sense of humor – but also showcased the film's emotional story line.
—James Powel, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
On cost, the committee pulls no punches.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
The 42-year-old Swanson overmatched Landwehr with a bevy of punches to the head before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight with 54 seconds left in the opening round.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
This Midwestern city, which hosted the country’s first-ever rock concert in 1952, punches above its weight in everything from cuisine to the arts to parks, and is home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, often cited as one of Ohio’s top tourist attractions.
—Paul J. Heney, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
The latest adaptation of the action video game series is uppercutting its way into theaters, kicking off the summer blockbuster season with a flurry of powerful punches.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
The 42-year-old Swanson overmatched Landwehr with a bevy of punches to the head before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight with 54 seconds left in the opening round.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
On instinct, Lindsay punches her in the face.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Seconds later, the man in a New York police vest punches the unidentified man in the face.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
But one of the most critical tests will come during reentry Friday, as the Orion space capsule punches through Earth's atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour, enduring temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Brendan Byrne, NPR, 7 Apr. 2026
Pros & Cons Vizio's Mini LED Quantum 4K QLED Smart TV punches far above its weight class.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The operator takes another swing, but the man ducks, punches the operator, then knocks him down, raining punches on his head before a bystander separates the two.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
And like his fiery sister, William punches his cousin dead in the face for being a punk.
—Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026
The restaurant, from the great minds behind another local favorite of mine, The General Muir, punches way above its weight as a lean but mean stall inside Krog Street Market.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026
While the woman’s wrists are being held to her sides, Lentz punches her several times, the video shows.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
Then Freeman woke up Friday morning to the news that was delivering gut punches throughout the baseball world, that Anderson had passed away Thursday at 53.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
Benches cleared, and cooler heads did not prevail, though no punches were thrown.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Sakurai premiered his new trailer at CinemaCon, with fresh footage that showed plenty of epic kicks, punches and cool moves – as well as a sense of humor – but also showcased the film's emotional story line.
—James Powel, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
On cost, the committee pulls no punches.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
The 42-year-old Swanson overmatched Landwehr with a bevy of punches to the head before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight with 54 seconds left in the opening round.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
This Midwestern city, which hosted the country’s first-ever rock concert in 1952, punches above its weight in everything from cuisine to the arts to parks, and is home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, often cited as one of Ohio’s top tourist attractions.
—Paul J. Heney, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
The latest adaptation of the action video game series is uppercutting its way into theaters, kicking off the summer blockbuster season with a flurry of powerful punches.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
The 42-year-old Swanson overmatched Landwehr with a bevy of punches to the head before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight with 54 seconds left in the opening round.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punches
Verb
-
At the end of the night, during the bows, Butler slaps the guys playing her two antagonists gently on their butts, a gesture that would have jarred in most stagings but fully in keeping with the inclusive, humanistic vibe of this production.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The music also slaps, synthesizing industrial, electro-pop and iPod party music into a work that feels honest and the right kind of raunchy.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The van’s speakers played a high-volume mashup of construction sounds, Jordan Peterson lectures, Marine Corps drills, and mumbling voices.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Skeleton drills with rags hanging from their shorts.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The trading push comes as the Middle East war disrupts commodity flows and drives up costs across global supply chains.—
Lee Ying Shan,Emily Tan,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Scientists know that dark energy is an all-pervasive something that drives the universe’s accelerating expansion.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Michael hits theaters and Imax on Friday and stars Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in his feature debut as the pop music icon.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Rico Nasty’s acting debut hits close to home.—
Alex Gonzalez,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 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
-
There’s a large homeschooling population, and, about fifteen miles from downtown, a Catholic organization runs a property affectionately known as Catholic Familyland—a cross between a summer camp and a retreat center.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
This is a crosswind throughout most of the course which generally runs from west to east.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Victor Caratini, whose two-run single in the first inning gave the Twins some breathing room, hit a sacrifice fly earlier in the game and both Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis had RBI knocks for the Twins in the win.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
7 Apr. 2026
-
A lot of the low end on the production really knocks, too.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mirroring the 3-star wig cap structure, this wig featured three combs (left-side, right-side, nape), a drawstring, wig band insertion holes, and a 13×4 lace.—
Noel Cymone Walker,
StyleCaster,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The penetration holes indicate that the internal facility is likely bombed out, destroying anything that was inside.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punches. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
