as in punitive
Related Words
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as in penalizing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of punishing
Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2025
But the new government, led by former rebels who toppled Bashar al-Assad, is urging US lawmakers to repeal the most punishing sanctions isolating Syria from the world economy.
—Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
From ‘Mad Max’ to ‘Atomic Blonde,’ Oscar winner Charlize Theron has built a legacy on punishing physicality.
—Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
How Brutal the Original ‘Conan’ Was The prospect of a return carries extra weight given Schwarzenegger’s own account of how physically punishing the original filming was.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
For all its public association with queerness, ballet remains largely committed to a frail, wispy femininity and a princely but muscular and explosive masculinity—with the stringent, often punishing body-shape standards to match.
—Chloe Angyal, Time, 9 Mar. 2026
The perpetual preferred shares that Strategy began selling in 2025 give Saylor a way to keep buying without further punishing the people who already own the common stock.
—Melos Ambaye, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
Peters' lawyers said the judge violated her First Amendment rights by punishing her with a stiff sentence for making claims about election fraud.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Peters' lawyers said the judge violated her First Amendment rights by punishing her with a stiff sentence for making allegations about election fraud.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
The stock market rebounded on Wednesday from two days of punishing swings after oil prices stopped spiking and reports gave encouraging updates on the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
First introduced in 1944, the multi-purpose off-roader with portal axles has been used as the basis for military, emergency, and commercial vehicles in some of the most punishing environments around the world.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 18 Dec. 2025
But the new government, led by former rebels who toppled Bashar al-Assad, is urging US lawmakers to repeal the most punishing sanctions isolating Syria from the world economy.
—Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Verb
Defense attorneys accused the administration of targeting freedom of speech and punishing dissent.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
From ‘Mad Max’ to ‘Atomic Blonde,’ Oscar winner Charlize Theron has built a legacy on punishing physicality.
—Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
How Brutal the Original ‘Conan’ Was The prospect of a return carries extra weight given Schwarzenegger’s own account of how physically punishing the original filming was.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
For all its public association with queerness, ballet remains largely committed to a frail, wispy femininity and a princely but muscular and explosive masculinity—with the stringent, often punishing body-shape standards to match.
—Chloe Angyal, Time, 9 Mar. 2026
The perpetual preferred shares that Strategy began selling in 2025 give Saylor a way to keep buying without further punishing the people who already own the common stock.
—Melos Ambaye, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
Peters' lawyers said the judge violated her First Amendment rights by punishing her with a stiff sentence for making claims about election fraud.
—Arkansas Online, 6 Mar. 2026
Peters' lawyers said the judge violated her First Amendment rights by punishing her with a stiff sentence for making allegations about election fraud.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
The stock market rebounded on Wednesday from two days of punishing swings after oil prices stopped spiking and reports gave encouraging updates on the economy.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishing
Adjective
-
Doing that is not aggressive or punitive.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Drug policy reform that is grounded in scientific evidence would favor stigma-free counseling and treatment over punitive measures.—
Lauren Micalizzi,
STAT,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Also, strong steps against the Russian shadow fleet that surreptitiously transports energy products, designation of Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and other economic measures strongly penalizing Russia and aiding Ukraine.—
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2026
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The law prevents health insurers and providers from penalizing patients who inadvertently receive out-of-network care.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The city has been fining him ever since.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The city's cart retrieval program, which was formalized in October, can charge stores as much as $50 per cart returned to them, though Republican state lawmakers are looking to stop Arizona cities from fining businesses for the service.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
According to the indictment, Gonzalez, Carillo, Beltran and De Los Angeles participated in disciplining members or others deemed to have interfered with the criminal activities.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Charis Smith, Deerfield Beach The response by Florida Atlantic University to attempt to silence faculty by disciplining some for their posts on personal social media accounts should come as no surprise.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Many of the same political leaders directing this war spent years criticizing the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.—
Shawn Vandiver,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have released a number of reports criticizing the Israeli military for failing to provide sufficient evidence for its attacks on Lebanese targets.—
Justin Salhani,
The Dial,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His lawyers also claimed the federal judge overseeing the case was too harsh in sentencing Combs and therefore violated his constitutional rights.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Mar. 2026
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Anna Kwok said in an Instagram post that sentencing her father under the pretext that his actions lowered the likelihood of her return to stand trial is a judicial farce.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Collectively, these offices have saved taxpayers millions of dollars by identifying improper spending, correcting internal controls and preventing future losses.—
Vaughn Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The medical examiner’s office on March 5 reissued Robinson’s demographic report, with a note correcting that he had not yet been sent to the agency for an autopsy.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, the newest major candidate to enter the race, hewed toward partisan middle ground, chastising leaders in Sacramento for allowing the state budget to balloon without tangible improvements to housing affordability, homelessness and public schools.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Unfortunately, instead of chastising their petulant colleagues, nearly every other Democratic politician has decided to join them in thrashing about on the floor.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishing. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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