as in nemesis
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
a father who regrets the fact that he always ends up being the household's disciplinarian and resident punisher
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Recent Examples of punisher
Montgomery has barely been in the big leagues for two months but has already put his name alongside a couple of franchise icons (and another hard-core punisher of baseballs).
—
Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punisher
Noun
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Related Stories Essiedu is set to play potions master Snape — one of Potter’s nemeses — in the upcoming streaming adaptation, a role previously played by Alan Rickman.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
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And while fans and teammates have embraced their former nemesis, his recent streak of three goals in two games have also produced memories of past April anguish.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But as all the world knows, Edmond Dantès did rise again, transformed from an innocent young sailor into that courtly yet implacable avenger, the Count of Monte Cristo.—
Michael Dirda,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
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And it was signed, black dahlia avenger.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the Season 2 premiere, the task force is destroying local businesses on Fisk’s orders and cracking down on vigilantes prowling the streets.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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The lead character, Jack Reacher, is a former military policeman who solves crimes as a vigilante.—
Austin Mullen,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punisher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punisher. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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