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
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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
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Recent Examples of punches
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
Housing is one of those sectors that punches above its weight, thanks to all the other purchases that come with the purchase of a new home, such as services, appliances, furniture, and so on.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 19 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
Cruzeiro defender Lucas Villalba aimed two flying kicks at Hulk, who responded with punches as a security guard tried to intervene.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Brown responds by shoving the officer's hand down, and after the second shove, the officer throws two punches.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
Housing is one of those sectors that punches above its weight, thanks to all the other purchases that come with the purchase of a new home, such as services, appliances, furniture, and so on.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 19 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
Cruzeiro defender Lucas Villalba aimed two flying kicks at Hulk, who responded with punches as a security guard tried to intervene.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Brown responds by shoving the officer's hand down, and after the second shove, the officer throws two punches.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punches
Verb
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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
-
Is this violence different from the time in her childhood when Irene slaps her?—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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The energy price shock that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago is fresh in the minds of European policymakers as the conflict in Iran once again drives oil and gas prices higher.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
-
That curiosity still drives him today.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Motherhood, grief, forgiveness, and love will take over the big screen when Reminders of Him hits theaters on March 13, 2026.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Cuba scored in the bottom half on Yoelkis Guibert’s run-scoring groundout off winner Cal Quantrill, who allowed an unearned run and two hits over five innings.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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Here’s a curtain-raiser on SXSW Music 2026, which runs from March 12-16 — with all of the different sub-festivals running concurrently, for the first time in the Austin gathering’s four-decade history.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Lake Shore Limited is a 19-hour rail journey between New York City and Chicago that runs alongside Lake Michigan, the Mohawk River, and the Erie Canal.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Dean Puckett, United Kingdom, 2025 A single mother and her child are put through a nightmarish ordeal when a politician knocks on their door.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
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Opportunity knocks, though, as Virginia Tech hits the road going for a sweep of archrival Virginia on Saturday.—
Jim Root,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But some backpacks are better for travel than others, perhaps designed with isolated shoe compartments, holes to feed your phone charging cable through, jewelry pouches, and special materials that simply wipe clean after picking up germs from public floors.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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The San Francisco 49ers head into free agency with roughly $38 million in salary-cap space — 11th most in the NFL — and holes all over their roster.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punches. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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