as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
feeling a little punchy after being up half the night with a crying baby
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 punchy
The most vibrant variations read as playful and punchy—ideal for accents rather than entire rooms.
—
Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2026
The modern kitchen, with gleaming marble countertops, leads to a punchy red-orange dining room heated up by a corner fireplace.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 1 June 2026
Jameson Black Barrel Black Barrel is the punchier sibling to standard Jameson and a sensible bridge for a bourbon drinker stepping toward Irish whiskey.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Strawberry lemonade nails have been trending for summer thanks to their bright, punchy color palette.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for punchy
Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2026
The modern kitchen, with gleaming marble countertops, leads to a punchy red-orange dining room heated up by a corner fireplace.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 1 June 2026
Jameson Black Barrel Black Barrel is the punchier sibling to standard Jameson and a sensible bridge for a bourbon drinker stepping toward Irish whiskey.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Strawberry lemonade nails have been trending for summer thanks to their bright, punchy color palette.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for punchy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punchy
Adjective
-
This led to a surreal sight at 5-0 in the fourth set, with Safiullin flat on his back receiving treatment for a hip injury while a dazed Ruud tried to revive himself with an ice towel.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Moments later, dazed residents staggered out as others rushed in to help.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
After analyzing everything from Substack posts to my group chats, my hottest take is that everyone is simply confused.—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
-
The man didn’t appear to make contact with any of the players during his few seconds on court, with replays showing Wembanyama smiling and looking confused.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Kelli cries over how solid the Mwangi unit is, praising Gerald as a father and husband and affirming that Shamea’s ass is real, while everyone else looks on, bewildered.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
-
Karl-Anthony Towns, who was on the podium with him, took off his glasses and looked at his teammate with a bewildered expression.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
If someone feels rushed, awkward, distracted or overly analyzed, their answers often become guarded and surface-level.—
King Holder,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2026
-
Out of those, 46 of the crashes involving distracted driving were fatal.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
During the day's exploring, employ the buddy system and look out for signs of heat illness like feeling dizzy, experiencing nausea or muscle cramps and sweating with cool and clammy skin.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
-
However, from such dizzy heights, the fall from grace has been dramatic.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The revelation earns him a stunned look from Amanda.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
10 June 2026
-
While the ousting immediately stunned and outraged members of the diabetes research community, Henderson’s video is in sharp contrast to the ADA’s series of statements over the past several days that tried to justify the decision.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punchy. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
