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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Recent Examples of punishes
Power washing your home is one of those projects that looks simple but punishes shortcuts.
—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Targeting property Iran’s judiciary has begun seizing the property of public figures critical of the country’s rulers, under an anti-espionage law approved during last year’s 12-day war with Israel that punishes media and cultural activities deemed to support Iran’s enemies.
—Amir-Hussein Radjy, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Iran’s judiciary has begun seizing the property of public figures critical of the country's rulers, under an anti-espionage law approved during last year’s 12-day war with Israel that punishes media and cultural activities deemed to support Iran's enemies.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Ishika Samant / Getty Images file Baseball already has a luxury tax in place that punishes big spending.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Under the current federal tax code, monetary mutual aid transactions fall into a legal gray zone that often punishes those being helped.
—Shelly Sitton-Tygielski, Time, 25 Mar. 2026
In the most ironic misalignment, the industry celebrates the myth of the lone auteur and then punishes anyone who actually tries to be one.
—Daren Smith, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2026
The two-way wing who punishes defenses for loading up on Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
All say the change punishes immigrants who try to work within the system and threatens to move more of the immigrant economy underground, hurting the state’s tax rolls.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 15 Mar. 2026
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Targeting property Iran’s judiciary has begun seizing the property of public figures critical of the country’s rulers, under an anti-espionage law approved during last year’s 12-day war with Israel that punishes media and cultural activities deemed to support Iran’s enemies.
—Amir-Hussein Radjy, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Iran’s judiciary has begun seizing the property of public figures critical of the country's rulers, under an anti-espionage law approved during last year’s 12-day war with Israel that punishes media and cultural activities deemed to support Iran's enemies.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Ishika Samant / Getty Images file Baseball already has a luxury tax in place that punishes big spending.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Under the current federal tax code, monetary mutual aid transactions fall into a legal gray zone that often punishes those being helped.
—Shelly Sitton-Tygielski, Time, 25 Mar. 2026
In the most ironic misalignment, the industry celebrates the myth of the lone auteur and then punishes anyone who actually tries to be one.
—Daren Smith, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2026
The two-way wing who punishes defenses for loading up on Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
All say the change punishes immigrants who try to work within the system and threatens to move more of the immigrant economy underground, hurting the state’s tax rolls.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishes
Verb
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The bill also targets and penalizes repair shops that modify exhaust systems to exceed legal noise levels.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
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Zillow allegedly monitors agent communications and penalizes those who recommend outside lenders.—
New York Daily News,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The state of California also fines taxpayers who didn’t withhold enough from their paychecks, with rates varying by offense.—
Alexiah Syrai Olsen,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026
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Watchdog Fintrac fines crypto exchange Cryptomus some $126 million for failing to flag potentially criminal transactions.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Schiavo raised a similar concern, noting that the National Transportation Safety Board regularly criticizes the Federal Aviation Administration and other regulators for not implementing obvious solutions, even after accidents occur.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
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Gigerenzer criticizes them as ethically problematic and argues that public policy should emphasize education over subtle choice manipulation.—
Alejandro Hortal-Sánchez,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
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When a stranger chastises them for not wearing hijabs in public, Pari and Hanna can barely manage to stifle a laugh.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The case now goes to a hearing scheduled for June 1, where his attorneys will be allowed to argue his life be spared before Munyon formally sentences him.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
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The Seoul Central District Court sentences Yoon to five years in prison for resisting arrest and fabricating the martial law proclamation, the first verdict against Yoon.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This version corrects the two other alternates were Keith Mitchell and Taylor Moore.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Discover the altered gene, place healthy versions of the gene into innocuous viruses, give those to patients, hope that kickstarts the CFTR protein and corrects the problem.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishes. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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