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 horrible
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
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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
Kim Velsey, Curbed, 28 Feb. 2025
Dammers’s recollection of this time will strike a chord with many people who were there:
For me, reggae made punk gigs bearable.
—Ian Penman, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Ortega and her team incorporate elements of goth, grunge, and punk into her red carpet looks from head to toe, leaving no detail unexamined, but the latest iteration may be her grungiest yet—in a good way!
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punk
Adjective
But after a few years there, the punk front man moved about a ten-minute walk away into a studio apartment at 115 East 9th Street, a 20-story postwar high-rise.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 28 Feb. 2025
Dammers’s recollection of this time will strike a chord with many people who were there:
For me, reggae made punk gigs bearable.
—Ian Penman, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
The two-hour-plus extravaganza included a loud and brisk pop-punk opening set from Boston band Boys Like Girls, while DJ and Jonas pal Marshmello was the intermission act with 20 minutes of lasers, confetti and hit tunes.
—Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Ortega and her team incorporate elements of goth, grunge, and punk into her red carpet looks from head to toe, leaving no detail unexamined, but the latest iteration may be her grungiest yet—in a good way!
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for punk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punk
Adjective
-
Unwavering loyalty Schrandt told ABC News that any deportations to Afghanistan are an unacceptable outcome.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Cosmetics are not the only place that regulators assessed an unacceptable level of risk.—
Keyaira Boone,
Essence,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The horrible accident — later determined to be caused by pilot error — remains the deadliest plane crash in Charlotte history.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
But then came a horrible deep-ball attempt intended for Stefon Diggs that Isaiah Pola-Mao intercepted.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Some doctors might not even immediately recognize symptoms in a sick patient because vaccines have made many contagious diseases rare in this country, said Marty, the FIU expert.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
-
However, some can, and those with risk factors can certainly become very sick.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Instructors are on hand to teach novices.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
For seasoned cooks and kitchen novices, cookbook author and nutritionist Robin Miller takes it back to basics with great, family-friendly recipes worth making over and over again.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
We’re then introduced to Louie, a thug who works for a loan shark, threatening and killing people.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Their neighbor, an older Jewish woman, gets arrested and Nazi thugs brazenly loot her apartment.—
Rabih Alameddine
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
People were calling it tacky, brave, MFA garbage, heart wrenching.—
Sarah Adler
September 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The character of Robbie, a garbage collector- turned-criminal, came to you through a suggestion from someone.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Parasite The first non-English language film to win a Best Picture Oscar, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite centers on the Kims, who live on the wrong side of the tracks in Seoul, South Korea.—
Emy LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Joveljic stepped up and placed the penalty kick into his right-hand corner, while goalkeeper Brad Stuver dove the wrong way.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Overall, this wasn’t a terrible episode, but having our heroes start in the UK and then end up in Spain in the first episode felt rushed and wasteful.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Both men are good, both men are bad and both men have made terrible mistakes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punk. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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