as in correctional
inflicting, involving, or serving as punishment
any misbehavior was immediately met with a punitive response the company had to pay a million dollars in punitive damages
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Recent Examples of punitive
As the saying goes, the dose makes the poison—and the insufficient dosing of punitive economic measures produced an underwhelming campaign with limited strategic effect.
—
Michael Carpenter, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2025
The Knicks are staring down a payroll north of $196 million, just $11.5 million below the punitive second apron.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025
With the agreement with Mitchell, the Heat currently stand above the punitive NBA luxury tax, but would be able to skirt that penalty by reducing the money owed to Robinson or by waiving him.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2025
In an interview, Ribera rejected suggestions that enforcement of the landmark Digital Markets Act — slammed by Trump as an unfair tax on Silicon Valley — could be sacrificed as part of a deal to dodge punitive EU tariffs pitched by the White House.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive
Michael Carpenter, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2025
The Knicks are staring down a payroll north of $196 million, just $11.5 million below the punitive second apron.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025
With the agreement with Mitchell, the Heat currently stand above the punitive NBA luxury tax, but would be able to skirt that penalty by reducing the money owed to Robinson or by waiving him.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2025
In an interview, Ribera rejected suggestions that enforcement of the landmark Digital Markets Act — slammed by Trump as an unfair tax on Silicon Valley — could be sacrificed as part of a deal to dodge punitive EU tariffs pitched by the White House.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punitive
Adjective
-
Iran’s Islamic Republic government likely will block it because, aside from Panahi’s outspoken stance against its stranglehold on democracy that has landed him in prison twice, the film is highly critical of Iran’s penal system on the back of the director’s own firsthand experiences.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
25 June 2025
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In the report on El Salvador, whose penal system has become a dumping ground for migrants deported from the United States, there will be no details on the conditions in those prisons.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
The recall will not be closed until the FDA determines corrective actions have addressed safety concerns.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
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Acknowledge failure promptly and plan corrective action. 5.—
Gisela Carere,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punitive. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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