as in penalties
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 punishments
The punishments included solitary confinement and use of force.
—
Julia Bowling, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
Because the costumes are designed by a master, there are hints, cues, little ways that each young lady is able to make her inner self visible, even when it must be done subtlety to avoid the negative attention and terrifying punishments that Gilead’s leadership revels in.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
In the early 1980s, the RIAA worked with the Motion Picture Association of America to convince Congress to establish harsher punishments for the piracy of films and audio recordings.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 May 2026
Nantes is expected to face severe punishments.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Betting on other teams and other sports is also prohibited, though with less lasting punishments, such as suspension for part of a season.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 May 2026
The parents also are concerned about whether discipline was issued fairly, claiming students from wealthy families or who are related to school employees received lenient punishments.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2026
The directive repealed federal guidance that schools work to avoid racial disparities in school punishments.
—Stacker, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
Kim, who took power in 1946, reframed Christianity as a symptom of American imperialism and repurposed its rituals with himself at the center, instituting requirements for ideological activities and imposing harsh punishments on those who failed to show sufficient devotion.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Julia Bowling, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
Because the costumes are designed by a master, there are hints, cues, little ways that each young lady is able to make her inner self visible, even when it must be done subtlety to avoid the negative attention and terrifying punishments that Gilead’s leadership revels in.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
In the early 1980s, the RIAA worked with the Motion Picture Association of America to convince Congress to establish harsher punishments for the piracy of films and audio recordings.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 May 2026
Nantes is expected to face severe punishments.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Betting on other teams and other sports is also prohibited, though with less lasting punishments, such as suspension for part of a season.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 May 2026
The parents also are concerned about whether discipline was issued fairly, claiming students from wealthy families or who are related to school employees received lenient punishments.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2026
The directive repealed federal guidance that schools work to avoid racial disparities in school punishments.
—Stacker, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
Kim, who took power in 1946, reframed Christianity as a symptom of American imperialism and repurposed its rituals with himself at the center, instituting requirements for ideological activities and imposing harsh punishments on those who failed to show sufficient devotion.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishments
penalties
Noun
-
The lawsuit seeks civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation found of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.—
Andrea Lucia,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
-
Any funds not used for education expenses can remain with the account owner, be transferred to another beneficiary or be rolled into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary, free of income tax or tax penalties.—
Jessica Dickler,Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punishments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishments. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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