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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of punk
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
The post-punk-rock band Tigers In Cairo was voted Best New Artist.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2026
Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Theater is not for punks, okay?
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for punk
Adjective
Led by the magnetic Tom Peter, the prolific lo-fi post-punk band out of Australia adds a human drummer and turns in a 23-minute burst of nonstop fun and creativity.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
The post-punk-rock band Tigers In Cairo was voted Best New Artist.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2026
Noun
Cold As Life during the late 1980s and early 1990s and had a reputation as a larger-than-life personality in the city’s punk community.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Theater is not for punks, okay?
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for punk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punk
Adjective
-
That could include fees for access, which Washington says would be unacceptable.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 May 2026
-
Speakers at Tuesday’s rally argued this was unacceptable.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 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
-
That night, both the President and his wife periodically fled upstairs to check on their most beloved son, the eleven-year-old Willie, sick with a fever that would kill him two weeks later.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
What this narrative neglects are all the ways treatment might cause terrible side effects, or the long period one spends being sick, and how one’s identity may have changed in the interim.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Because George, portrayed by Hugh Jackman, routinely read mysteries to his charges before his sudden demise, these sheep aren’t complete novices, said Wilson Chapman in IndieWire.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
18 May 2026
-
To my novice eye, Prysock moved without defect.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The fact that this racist thug has been handed policing power by Netanyahu says more about the state of Israel’s democracy and political values—and in particular about the prime minister’s values—than many Israelis might like to admit.—
Avi Issacharoff,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
-
White thugs destroyed it in the 1921 Race Massacre.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Some argue that parking, sewer and garbage – the infrastructure designed for single-family homes – is being stretched too thin.—
Lee Cowan,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
-
However, the playoffs have delivered over and over to viewers and rewarded us for putting up with garbage regular-season games.—
David Troy,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
In Georgia, a judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit because it had been filed in the wrong city, prompting the government to refile elsewhere.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2026
-
In its deconstruction of society and the prejudice that immigrants face, Fjord per critics could conceivably rub both liberals and conservatives the wrong way.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Which is horrible, just that amount of women being murdered.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
Hmmm, a book about climate change, economic hardship, labor shortages, rising food prices, and a family having a horrible time?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punk. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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