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
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
Horford, like Green, is a clever passer who punishes defensive mistakes.
—Sam Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Feb. 2026
That staunch support takes on extra significance in a hyper-competitive country that often only rewards top winners and punishes those who fall short.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
Let’s make an energy policy that serves the people of Maryland, not punishes them.
—Justin Ready, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2026
The league now punishes teams for improperly holding players out with big fines.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Then punishes him by icing him for weeks by not responding to his contacting her.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
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
Horford, like Green, is a clever passer who punishes defensive mistakes.
—Sam Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Feb. 2026
That staunch support takes on extra significance in a hyper-competitive country that often only rewards top winners and punishes those who fall short.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
Let’s make an energy policy that serves the people of Maryland, not punishes them.
—Justin Ready, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2026
The league now punishes teams for improperly holding players out with big fines.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Then punishes him by icing him for weeks by not responding to his contacting her.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishes
Verb
-
Zillow allegedly monitors agent communications and penalizes those who recommend outside lenders.—
New York Daily News,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
By taxing those inputs, the policy effectively penalizes domestic production.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Watchdog Fintrac fines crypto exchange Cryptomus some $126 million for failing to flag potentially criminal transactions.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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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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
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As Dexter questions why Batista’s death hurts so much, Brian chastises his brother for listening to Harry too much.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
-
Her sentences themselves have a cartilaginous magic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In this scenario, stripped of high-paying salaries, prime borrowers default and tank the $13 trillion residential mortgage market, unemployment spikes above 10%, the stock market corrects down 38%, and the economy collapses into a deflationary spiral.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
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The answer is a combination of ingredients that corrects, prevents, and protects—not to mention the affordable price point.—
Erika Reals,
InStyle,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishes. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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