as in vigilantes
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishers
Noun
-
Fisk is hiding in the light, and the vigilantes are hiding in the darkness, but [in this case] light does not represent anything holy or just.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026 -
Activists say the real death toll may never be known, with users and small-time peddlers gunned down almost daily in mysterious slumland killings blamed on vigilantes and turf wars.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Various nemeses and side characters enter the fray, from Jim’s archenemy (and also Insta-famous) Pavel to the scally with a sneaker-sniffing fetish who guides Jim and Lucien to their next destination.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
-
Emma Watson and Tom Felton may have played nemeses on screen, but in real-life, the Harry Potter actors were among the closest duos to come out of the franchise.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Punishers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishers. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
