as in penalty
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
he is serving five years in prison as punishment for aggravated assault
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Recent Examples of punishment
The defense chose for the jury to determine the punishment, instead of the judge.
—
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2026
The Bosch follower panel, titled Hell, was packed with the strange creatures, demons, and punishments that made the artist famous.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026
Mayor Johnson’s instincts — investment over punishment, community first, these are children, not enemies — are right.
—Desmon Yancy, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
But the punishment opened something within him.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2026
The Bosch follower panel, titled Hell, was packed with the strange creatures, demons, and punishments that made the artist famous.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026
Mayor Johnson’s instincts — investment over punishment, community first, these are children, not enemies — are right.
—Desmon Yancy, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
But the punishment opened something within him.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishment
Noun
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Carolina killed off a delay-of-game penalty, which was crucial for staying in the game.—
Matt Reigle,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
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The payments, tied to penalty clauses, demonstrate that even halting parts of the project will be expensive nearly a decade after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman unveiled the development.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Backup Spurs center Luke Kornet’s minutes have offered an opening this series — mostly a break from Wembanyama’s wrath.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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There are the victims, their families, and lives left shattered because of a single person’s vicious wrath.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishment. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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