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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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 punished Cam Skattebo was surprisingly punished for his fumbling issues, but there is precedence in John Harbaugh’s coaching history. — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026 Settler violence has surged in recent years, and rights groups say that attackers are rarely arrested or punished for attacks on Palestinians. — Koral Saeed, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 Rights groups have said few settlers are ever punished for the attacks that have surged in recent years. — Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026 Then Bachmeier punished the Irish defense on back-to-back drives. — John Coon, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 But their complaints come as Lecornu's government seeks to rein in public spending to appease skittish bond markets, which have punished France more harshly than many of its peers this year, amid a global bond market rout. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026 People who violate the rules can be found in contempt of court, which generally can be punished with up to six months in jail. — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 Other teams have been punished for financial breaches but not on this scale. — Matt Piper, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Owners have been previously punished for violating the personal conduct policy. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for punished

Verb

Franklin, meanwhile, was not initially penalized following the play.

— Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Despite the win, the Panthers were heavily penalized, recording the most penalty yards in a single game in franchise history.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of penalized

Verb

Only three have been fined $100, though one of those cases is still pending, according to the utility.

— Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
Right now, a candidate who violates campaign finance law is fined $250, while a political action committee is fined $2,500.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of fined

Verb

Three of those defendants, in agreements, pleaded guilty to capital murder and were sentenced to life without parole.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Judge Michael Sweet sentenced Roderick Earl Sowells, 60, for the murder of David Marcus Jones, 29, of West Sacramento, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of sentenced

Verb

Lula was released from prison after 580 days and saw Brazil's Supreme Court annul his sentence after police found messages that showed the judge who convicted him was biased.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
He was released from prison after 580 days and saw Brazil’s Supreme Court annul his sentence after police found messages that showed the judge who convicted him was biased.

— ELÉONORE HUGHES, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of convicted

Verb

Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, criticized the state's election officials for not cooperating with the department's demands.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Some Democrats have criticized national groups for not spending more in Southern states like Mississippi.

— Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of criticized

Verb

The complaint nevertheless triggered a full internal investigation into Olson, who had not previously been disciplined during her 13 years with the Aurora Police Department.

— Brian Maass, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
The best nonprofit organizations are disciplined about revenue and talk openly about it.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of disciplined

Verb

During the hearing, which ended without a decision, Reyes chastised the government attorneys, who had previously told the court that renovating the links was still in its conceptual stage.

— Rachel Treisman, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026
Anderson and Lago chastised Castro, accusing her of using city funds to help cover personal expenses to attend her ethics hearing.

— Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of chastised

Verb

Running complicated algorithms on quantum computing hardware is going to require the use of logical qubits, where collections of hardware qubits are linked together in ways that allow errors to be detected and corrected.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
The neighborhood group argued that the driveway should be moved or otherwise corrected before approval.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of punished

verb

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