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 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

After Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was penalized for delay of game for firing the puck over the glass, Maurice challenged in the belief the puck was deflected by the Jets defender.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
But after the concrete plant opened, the city in 2022 signed a first-of-its-kind agreement with Crown that gave the company time to fix issues before being penalized.

— Jena Brooker, ProPublica, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of penalized

Verb

The newspaper’s closure follows years of pressure As part of the Kremlin’s rampant crackdown on critics, Novaya Gazeta was fined after it was accused of discrediting Russia’s armed forces.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
During the first half of 2026, 27 businesses were fined for price scanning errors.

— Eva Flowe October 29, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of fined

Verb

Holmes was convicted on four counts and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 2026
Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 27, who managed the immigration services business and admitted personally filing hundreds of fraudulent asylum applications, was sentenced to four years in prison.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 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

In both television commercials and in campaign mailers sent to homes across the state, Fazio has criticized Lamont repeatedly for months on electricity.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
The coach had criticized Brooklyn’s shot selection and turnovers before the game, saying the Nets’ decisions with the ball were feeding their problems on defense.

— C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of criticized

Verb

The moves wiped out a rally in Brazilian assets that followed Flávio Bolsonaro, seen as the more market-friendly and fiscally disciplined of the candidates, winning the first-round vote in early October.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Her prediction does not establish that a player has been disciplined for expressing those views.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 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

This was a violation at the opening inspection and was to be corrected prior to opening.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Politico corrected a report from last week on the role that Donald Trump‘s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles played preceding the exit of Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of corrected

Browse Nearby Words

punishable

punished

punisher

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“Punished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punished. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of punished

verb

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