punks

noun

plural of punk
1
as in novices
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thugs
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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of punks Once national press rolled in, Twisted Teens were accused of being an industry plant, with a few punks going so far as to call them a psyop. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026 In the story, Ria teams up with her foster mother and their fellow punks to resist a merciless developer intent on tearing down their building. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026 Where else are the punks gathering and the people gathering, or even just to go dig through the stacks or make new friends? — E.r. Pulgar, SPIN, 1 Sep. 2026 Ancient Egyptians understood hardware just like punks understood hardware just like bikers understood hardware just like I, walking through my office metal detector every week, understand hardware. — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Photo by Barry Brecheisen Swedish post punks Viagra Boys helped close out night one of Lollapalooza 2026 during a one hour set adjacent to the Art Institute of Chicago on the Airbnb stage. — Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Man oh man, did the Argentinians spoil their World Cup run by acting like punks last Sunday. — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026 This dogmatic approach to revolutionary citizenship led to the horrible treatment of any perceived as nonconformist, such as LGBTQ people, hippies or punks. — Juan Carlos Albarran, The Conversation, 13 July 2026 Theater is not for punks, okay? — Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punks
  1. novices
  2. thugs
  3. beginners
  4. criminals
  5. apprentices
  6. gangsters
  7. newcomers
  8. bandits
Noun
  • By automating the cadence and gear changes, Honda is catering to novices who don't want to think about gear selection or power management on the trail.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The political novices were able to rally the nation behind a simple message against corruption and state capture.
    — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of novices
Noun
  • These low-level thugs typically are not believed to be formally aligned with Iran.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Saint played Edie Doyle, whose brother was murdered by thugs working for a mob boss running a longshoremen's union; her character becomes involved with Brando's pugilistic dockworker Terry Malloy.
    — David Morgan, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of thugs
Noun
  • Eighty percent of the skiers are local, says Linebaugh, and half the runs are expert level, while the other half are well suited for beginners, intermediate, and ski school.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The Woobles Beginner Crochet Amigurumi Kits are fun for experienced stitchers and beginners alike, and make for thoughtful holiday gifts, too.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of beginners
Noun
  • According to investigators cited by NBC News, the criminals have shown planning and sophistication by employing techniques like GPS location spoofing and even arranging collisions with police escort vehicles.
    — Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Without changing state law, criminals can continue to be sentenced to death in California.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of criminals
Noun
  • In addition to its own team of more than a dozen chefs and apprentices, Home Chef has also featured menu collaborations with celebrity chefs, including Giada De Laurentiis, Rachael Ray and Gordon Ramsay.
    — Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Built with the help of his apprentices, the complex was designed to blend into the surrounding Sonoran Desert, using local stone in a construction style known as desert masonry.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of apprentices
Noun
  • The Capone associates lined up six members of Moran's gang, and a seventh unaffiliated man who apparently liked hanging out with gangsters, against the north wall of the garage.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • For decades, Hollywood actor Danny Trejo’s bread and butter was playing gangsters, prison inmates and other assorted criminals.
    — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of gangsters
Noun
  • The hotel’s connections with local neighbors is also particularly impressive (no mean feat for newcomers in Kyoto) with The Shinmonzen’s friends ranging from local bento box makers who deliver by bicycle to generations-old antique shop owners.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The newcomers leading the race for the other seats — Devon Graves and Oranit Limmaneeprasert — were both candidates endorsed by the Los Rios College Federation of Teachers.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of newcomers
Noun
  • Attacks by bandits are common across northern Nigeria where armed groups carry out attacks against civilian populations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Attacks by bandits are common across northern Nigeria, where armed groups carry out attacks against civilian populations.
    — Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of bandits

Browse Nearby Words

punk
punks
punt
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Punks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punks. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of valorous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All