punches 1 of 3

present tense third-person singular of punch
1
2
3

punches

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural of punch

punches

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural of punch
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
Verb
Separate video of the chaotic confrontation shows two showgirls fighting with a man and a woman, and one of the performers pulls the woman's hair and repeatedly punches her in the face and body. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Derrick Henry punches it in from 3 yards out a play later to take the lead. — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2026 The kitchen, meanwhile, is the most impressive part of the house and really punches above its weight for such a compact model. — New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026 The movie never punches for laughs, and the filmmakers are amazingly assured in their subtle style and their meticulous attention to detail. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2026 His mother's Nordic heritage was the reason Campbell made his pro debut in the Icelandic league in 2021 in a nation which punches above its weight in developing soccer players. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026 But there’s an irony here, in that the movie then punches down on Marjorie and her co-conspirators in turn. — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026 The trooper then releases the man's hair and punches him in the face. — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026 That Febreze bottle is empty and the scented candle burned out — the current Giants’ stink punches you right in the nose, mouth and eyes. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
The farm offers a punch card to residents for $18 and is good for up to 14 punches or around 21 bags of debris. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026 Hadribeaj attacked the body early, crouching beneath Fundora’s punches and landing looping shots over the top. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026 After landing several punches and kicks and taking his opponent to the ground multiple times, LaPenna eventually became fatigued and called for the match to be ended. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Not a pushover but a practical-minded realist, the chef takes the punches, striking up a booze-smuggling deal with the Americans to keep the orphans living in his restaurant safe. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 However, this is a stellar opportunity to dig into excellent, authentic Thai dishes (no punches held on sour or spice), and the Thai Wok Omelet with blue crab and morning glory at breakfast is exceedingly memorable. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 The fight took a physical toll on LaPenna The physical side of the fight became pretty clear once LaPenna started trading punches with the robots. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Canada’s import bans Washington may be taking a light touch approach to the AI industry, but the administration is pulling no punches with Canada. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026 And by the way, with how shifty rookie Emmett Johnson has been at this level, Kansas City may quietly have one of the league’s best one-two punches. — Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punches
Verb
  • As the child puts his hands up, Bible says Campbell slaps them away, then drags him off the field.
    — Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Nothing slaps like the original, but the upcoming reboot looks kinda cool.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Ramiro Benavides, director of a middle school mariachi in the district, drills his students not only on how to play their instruments and sing, but also on how to bring a theatrical and dramatic flair to their performances.
    — Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Dewan is also filming The Rookie, so things are getting challenging as Val drills her on the technique — even on set between takes.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The ability for employees to find the best opportunities for themselves and for employers to find the best candidates for the job help to drive innovation, which drives productivity, which drives growth, Richardson has said.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Oscar drives her home and, paralyzed by the situation, leaves her unconscious at her family’s door.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Deaton was well-prepared, brought the fire, and landed a number of blows that at times appeared to make Markey wince.
    — Jon Keller, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The two countries have been trading blows on energy infrastructure.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Lemmo Lemmo's gone with a 960-Wh semi-solid state battery, which reportedly allows for up to 110 miles (180 km) of range and won't go up in flames from punctures or thermal runaway incidents.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026
  • After a minute of this, the crash of hi-hat punctures the silence.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Listeria hits about 1,250 people in the United States annually and kills about 172, according to the CDC.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
  • His head hits the table, a pitcher drops to the floor and explodes.
    — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Christmas tree pins have a tiered configuration that compresses rather than pierces the ground (a win for modern synthetic or Mondo tracks).
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • An ice sculpture of a heart includes a tube through the ice arrow that pierces the heart.
    — Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • Serhii Sternenko, who runs a foundation supplying drones to Ukrainian forces and previously served as an adviser to Ukraine's defense minister, also reported the Starlink speed limits and later said the speeds were being limited even further.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Abell Diño-Cabrera, who heads Fire & Ice Media and runs the division’s film and TV development, production, positioning and sales work, will steer the alliance for the Philippine side.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Punches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punches. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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