1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
she plays a punk game of tennis, so you won't have any trouble beating her
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
the acting in the movie ranged all the way from poor to punk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
I've been feeling punk today
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in novice
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity
an impertinent punk who was trying to tell senior colleagues how to do their jobs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the vigilante was hailed by some as a hero for standing up to the punks who had repeatedly threatened his family
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in garbage
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
claims made by cosmetic companies about their antiaging creams that turned out to be a lot of punk
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of punk
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Described as Superbad meets Derry Girls, Bender is based on the late-’70s, post-punk Dublin coming-of-age experiences of Adrian Cunningham, who penned the script.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
No matter what’s rattling around in Peter’s brain, his bandmates are ready to play around with its cinematic potential by whipping up a DIY batter of post-punk and no-wave idiosyncrasies.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for punk
Adjective
This one pulls the theater credibly into the harder rock realm — the pre-punk, pre-grunge one.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Described as Superbad meets Derry Girls, Bender is based on the late-’70s, post-punk Dublin coming-of-age experiences of Adrian Cunningham, who penned the script.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
Other bright bouncy acts include pop-punk-plus acts Hit the Lights and Major League, the entertainingly mysterious multi-instrumentalist Buckethead and, unbelievably, the still-jumpy British shouters EMF.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
No matter what’s rattling around in Peter’s brain, his bandmates are ready to play around with its cinematic potential by whipping up a DIY batter of post-punk and no-wave idiosyncrasies.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for punk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punk
Adjective
-
For a city in the grip of a housing crisis, that delay was unacceptable.—
Michelle de la Uz,
New York Daily News,
13 May 2026
-
Bans on unacceptable-risk AI have applied since February 2025, according to the European Commission.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Residents describe ‘a terrible night’ More than 30 people were injured in the apartment building collapse, while emergency workers rescued 28 residents, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
And some were not kind to him on social media following the terrible first round.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
The virus was first detected by health officials in Johannesburg, South Africa on May 2 after a British man became sick and was taken into intensive care, 21 days after another passenger had died.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
This spread is usually limited to people who have close contact with a sick person.—
Alex Nitzberg,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Sheriff investigators described Pickles as a novice operator of the boat.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
-
Taylor Swift just wore the most romantic summer hairstyle that any novice can achieve.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The masked thugs deposit a tearful middle-aged woman in front of Bass, Newsom, and Harris.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
-
White thugs destroyed it in the 1921 Race Massacre.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Secure garbage and recycling bags.—
Barbara Bellesi Zito,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
-
Investigators said nearly 6,500 pets were promised a proper burial by Vereb, but instead their bodies were dumped in landfills or left in leaking garbage bags.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The challenge these proposals aim to address is real — but trying to hold back the tide is the wrong answer.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
In a 4-3 ruling, the court said the legislature followed the wrong process for putting the question, an amendment to the state constitution, on the ballot.—
Larry Kaplow,
NPR,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
That is a really horrible thing.—
David Chiu,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
The Virginia Supreme Court has just struck down the Democrats’ horrible gerrymander.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punk. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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