PUNISHED Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

punished

verb

past tense of punish

as in penalized

to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime the child was punished for breaking dishes on purpose if caught, the thief will be severely punished

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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 punished Why had Balogun been punished so severely when other seemingly similar plays in this World Cup had avoided punishment altogether? — Becky Sullivan, NPR, 6 July 2026 Mexico punished the Czech Republic’s sloppiness with aplomb after weathering their opponents’ good start, scoring all three goals in the second half. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026 This is a state agency taking action against a license for violations already punished in a different state. — David J. Neal july 5, Miami Herald, 5 July 2026 Wall Street has punished the company amid steep losses in its cable TV and broadband internet units, and because NBCUniversal has historically generated its biggest profits from its cable channels. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 Stress that their devices won’t be taken away as a result, and they won’t be punished for speaking up. — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 2 July 2026 Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón was the first player to be punished under the new rule when he was sent off in a group stage match against Turkey last week. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 Even though the president nominates agency leaders, those commissioners are confirmed by the Senate and must not be unfairly punished for exercising independent judgment, Potter said. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 29 June 2026 Months later, Brian Cox told The Hollywood Reporter in December 2024 that Spacey had been punished enough. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 29 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for punished

Verb

Property owners who fail to respond to the city can also be penalized.

— Brian Maass, CBS News, 2 July 2026
This was competitors at each other’s throats – sure, literally so is a bit much – and variously penalized for it.

— Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of penalized

Verb

Cyclists should be ticketed and fined for these violations, just like motorists.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
But if Meta is found in violation of the DSA, it could be fined as much as 6% of its global revenue — which could total more than $12 billion, based on last year’s earnings.

— Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 10 July 2026

Definition of fined

Verb

That and a cascade of circumstantial evidence led to him being convicted of the crime in 2010.

— Taylor Croft, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
Jimmy Syhathep was convicted July 2 of carjacking, evading officers, hit-and-run and felony possession of a firearm, a spokesperson for the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office wrote in a statement issued Monday.

— Reeti Malhotra July 6, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of convicted

Verb

Trump has criticized other NATO members for not helping the US in its war on Iran, personally attacking the leaders of several countries over the issue.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
The attorneys criticized the speed at which the judge conducted the trial, including a court date on a Saturday when several defense witnesses were unavailable.

— Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 7 July 2026

Definition of criticized

Verb

But most of the people who do alternative history are not disciplined.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
The Pacific Ocean sits beyond the fairways, impossibly blue and always present, while the best young players in the world try to stay disciplined enough not to stare too long.

— Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026

Definition of disciplined

Verb

And until that is corrected, the on-field results will continue to be less than the sum of the parts.

— Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
An investigation found that the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company’s production and packaging procedures that has since been corrected.

— Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 7 July 2026

Definition of corrected

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punishable

punished

punisher

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“Punished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punished. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of punished

verb

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