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
Prosecutors added severe mandatory penalties to their cases, stacking those punishments, even if no shots were fired, to build prison terms of 50, 60 or even 100 years.
—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
23 June 2026
But many instructors don’t report incidents of cheating to administrators responsible for enforcing those rules and meting out punishments.
—
Austin Sarat,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
Kay Adams wasn't given much of a choice over the weekend but to call for severe punishment while attending her first NASCAR race in San Diego.
—
Sean Joseph Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
Thus the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party and its punishment, which led to Bunker Hill and the Revolutionary War.
—
Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
23 June 2026
But many instructors don’t report incidents of cheating to administrators responsible for enforcing those rules and meting out punishments.
—
Austin Sarat,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
Kay Adams wasn't given much of a choice over the weekend but to call for severe punishment while attending her first NASCAR race in San Diego.
—
Sean Joseph Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
Thus the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party and its punishment, which led to Bunker Hill and the Revolutionary War.
—
Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishment
Noun
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Nine strokes later, including three shots into the water across the green and three penalty strokes as a result, Poston finally sunk an eight-inch putt to move on with a 12.
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Form 700s are filed under penalty of perjury.
Noun
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But some have faced pushback, including when two Boise men faced the wrath of their homeowners association for replacing their grass with turf, in part to save water.
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Or, faced with the wrath of the huge Baby Boom generation — who tend to be voters and vociferous — will Congress act in time?
Cite this Entry
“Punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishment. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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