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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Magyar’s journey from an Orbán loyalist to his nemesis was swift.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
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The prosthetic arm belonging to Commandant Spangler (Daniel von Bargen), Francis' Marlin Academy nemesis, is also in the clutter.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 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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Yet the vigilantes went too far, and labor organizations called on the state government to intervene.—
Amelia Soth,
JSTOR Daily,
15 Apr. 2026
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Karl Urban as Billy Butcher Karl Urban has starred as Billy Butcher, leader of the titular vigilante group, since season 1.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punisher.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punisher. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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