as in penalizes
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
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Recent Examples of punishes
But Telegram founder Pavel Durov said the ban needlessly punishes the over 150 million Telegram users in the country, instead of the insiders who leaked the exam materials.
—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
Their primary concern is that the allocation formula punishes rec centers with large bank balances that city parks officials haven’t managed to spend on facilities upgrades or activities.
—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 June 2026
Neither opposes innovation nor punishes success.
—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Over the last several days, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton wrote a letter to the Big 12 threatening legal action if the conference punishes Texas Tech for playing Sorsby.
—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 June 2026
Politics punishes that disconnect.
—
John Shallman,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
Every major technology shift punishes leaders who mistake size for safety.
—
Brian Solis,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Because what most directly punishes American physicians for seeking mental health care sits on a state medical licensure application.
—
Frances Mei Hardin,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
Imposing an across the board cut punishes agencies that have maintained budgetary discipline while rewarding those that have not, creating an incentive for bloated budgets so future cuts don’t hurt.
—
Rose Evans
may 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 May 2026
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
Their primary concern is that the allocation formula punishes rec centers with large bank balances that city parks officials haven’t managed to spend on facilities upgrades or activities.
—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 June 2026
Neither opposes innovation nor punishes success.
—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Over the last several days, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton wrote a letter to the Big 12 threatening legal action if the conference punishes Texas Tech for playing Sorsby.
—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 June 2026
Politics punishes that disconnect.
—
John Shallman,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
Every major technology shift punishes leaders who mistake size for safety.
—
Brian Solis,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Because what most directly punishes American physicians for seeking mental health care sits on a state medical licensure application.
—
Frances Mei Hardin,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
Imposing an across the board cut punishes agencies that have maintained budgetary discipline while rewarding those that have not, creating an incentive for bloated budgets so future cuts don’t hurt.
—
Rose Evans
may 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishes
Verb
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Generous leave policies frequently go underused, particularly by men, if workplace culture quietly penalizes those who take advantage of them.
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The system rewards deference and penalizes the judgment oversight was designed to protect.
Verb
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Whether the league responds to Booker’s complaints — or fines him for them — the conversation around officiating in this series is far from over.
-
The state of California also fines taxpayers who didn’t withhold enough from their paychecks, with rates varying by offense.
Verb
-
The couple has been targeted by a group called Boycott Divest Zabludowicz, which criticizes them for supporting a pro-Israel lobby.
-
That letter, referenced in the Brandeis Center complaint, criticizes the APA for failing to discipline a former division president, Lara Sheehi, for various incendiary comments about Zionism.
Verb
-
Levinson’s series has long trafficked as a kind of smutty after-school special, not unlike how Ryan Murphy delves into some of the nastiest gore imaginable and then chastises us for watching.
-
When a stranger chastises them for not wearing hijabs in public, Pari and Hanna can barely manage to stifle a laugh.
Verb
-
A student can ask what claim the file appears to make, where the evidence is thin, which sentences sound inflated, and which lines could have been written by almost any strong applicant.
-
Charming sentences to find in a book by the sitting vice president of the United States!
Verb
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Soon after, Hawk absentmindedly corrects Piña’s English, prompting her to air her own frustrations with their relationship.
-
This story corrects the day of week.
Cite this Entry
“Punishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishes. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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