1
as in slapping
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 drilling
to make a hole or series of holes in
punch a ticket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of punching
The video shows Timothy Brown's arrest last week in Brooklyn, in which the arresting officers can be seen repeatedly punching him, and shoving him to the ground.
—
Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Brown again pulls his hands away from the cops before Maden starts punching him.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Several people could be seen punching and kicking others as bystanders urged them to stop.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
The footage shows two plainclothes officers repeatedly punching and kicking a man inside a liquor store in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighborhood on Tuesday, April 14 , according to the video obtained by CBS News New York, the New York Times and ABC7 New York.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Earlier on Tuesday, the rapper was accused in a new lawsuit of punching a man two years ago at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026
The Sharks were eliminated from playoff contention late Monday night when the Los Angeles Kings beat the Seattle Kraken 5-3, punching their own ticket to the postseason.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Deputies responded to the home on the 37000 block of Oxford Drive in response to a domestic violence call from a woman who said her husband had assaulted her — including putting her in a headlock and punching her, according to a county case summary.
—City News Service, Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
The footage, shared on social media, shows a man in a long trench coat kicking the front door of a home in Fairfield on April 7, punching the Ring camera, and demanding the homeowner open up.
—Cierra Morgan
connect
april 13, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Brown again pulls his hands away from the cops before Maden starts punching him.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Several people could be seen punching and kicking others as bystanders urged them to stop.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
The footage shows two plainclothes officers repeatedly punching and kicking a man inside a liquor store in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighborhood on Tuesday, April 14 , according to the video obtained by CBS News New York, the New York Times and ABC7 New York.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Earlier on Tuesday, the rapper was accused in a new lawsuit of punching a man two years ago at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026
The Sharks were eliminated from playoff contention late Monday night when the Los Angeles Kings beat the Seattle Kraken 5-3, punching their own ticket to the postseason.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Deputies responded to the home on the 37000 block of Oxford Drive in response to a domestic violence call from a woman who said her husband had assaulted her — including putting her in a headlock and punching her, according to a county case summary.
—City News Service, Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
The footage, shared on social media, shows a man in a long trench coat kicking the front door of a home in Fairfield on April 7, punching the Ring camera, and demanding the homeowner open up.
—Cierra Morgan
connect
april 13, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punching
Verb
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The movie's December 2022 release was largely overshadowed by the aftermath of Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage at that year's Academy Awards.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
-
This is simply slapping lipstick on a pig and, once again, taking no accountability.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Since January 2025, engineers at L3Harris Technologies have been drilling, wiring, and reinforcing.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The company expects to be drilling holes for 10,000 houses annually by the end of the year.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For Ioane, that comes in the form of driving a defensive lineman into the ground to clear a path for his quarterback or running back.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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But the judge said that Hallford made credible claims of being a victim of domestic violence and that her ex-husband, Jon Hallford, was the driving force in their relationship.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Giants ace Logan Webb hitting the Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing with a pitch, as well as Rushing’s subsequent hard slide into shortstop Willy Adames, pale in comparison to the clashes between San Francisco and Los Angeles in the past.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
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But the big ticket moment comes in the morning, when coffee is delivered to you in bed and the tent canopy is drawn to reveal the sun hitting the looming red rocks of the canyon.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The shortstop broke his bat on one pitch and a shard hit teammate Steve Yeager in the on-deck circle, piercing the catcher’s throat.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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New video captured the horrifying moment a Florida police officer’s body camera stopped a bullet from piercing his chest while conducting a routine investigation last month.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All this in an environment where politicians like Jeff Bridges (running for state treasurer who lives in the Cherry Creek school district) whine and snivel about his associates in the teachers’ union not having the funds to effectively teach our kids.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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The current controller, Malia Cohen, was elected in 2022 and is running for reelection against two candidates, union leader Meghann Adams and Herb Morgan, a chief investment officer.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The flashes were caused by rocky objects smacking into the lunar surface, and the astronauts’ observations of them caused scientists in Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center to erupt in cheers.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
-
De Kock smashed eight boundaries and seven sixes and Dhir complemented his South African teammate by smacking three fours and three sixes in the century partnership.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Martha Stewart, however—perhaps the least likely superstar to do so—is poking holes in that fantasy, giving us an iconic new selfie that feels wildly relatable to anyone familiar with the mayhem of getting ready.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
24 Apr. 2026
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Paul, who co-created the Apple TV+ series and drew from season one for the musical’s script and score, performs a dexterous trick, poking fun at the form’s many ridiculous tropes with an unmistakably affectionate hand.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punching. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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