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

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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 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 The passing of 30 years has only enhanced the appeal of the group’s Nashville detour, shifting attention from the incongruity of Ween cutting a country record to the joyous chemistry between these old pros and young punks. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 1 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 Music zines often had the same format, columns from semi-famous punks, interviews with up-and-coming bands, record reviews, and, always shunted to the back, zine reviews. — Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punks
  1. novices
  2. thugs
  3. beginners
  4. criminals
  5. apprentices
  6. gangsters
  7. newcomers
  8. bandits
Noun
  • To capture some of that essence, Guitar Center is trying to make its stores a place to hang out for novices and pros alike.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The sizable number of offerings in every box can help bean novices get acquainted with new products and strengthen their bond with favorites.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of novices
Noun
  • 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
  • The residents occasionally gather in a disused rec center but the meetings devolve into rants about immigrants, junkies, thugs and vigilantism.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of thugs
Noun
  • The button placement is great for beginners and allows new users to start straight away before moving up to more advanced shooting.
    — Harry Bennett, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Designed for both beginners and die-hards, the 60-minute classes at the beautiful new reformer Pilates studio focus on core strength, alignment, flexibility, and balance.
    — Lindsay Cohn, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of beginners
Noun
  • That is what makes seemingly basic personal information so useful to criminals.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Pillay, 85, received the news while attending a forum in Nuremberg, Germany, where the trials of Nazi war criminals helped lay the foundations of international law.
    — Stefanie Dazio, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminals
Noun
  • For carpenters, delays and poor weather conditions can disrupt the working hours apprentices need to complete their program, causing some to quit.
    — Itzel Franco, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The new funding will allow the school to add 16 apprentices, for a total of 51 trainees.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of apprentices
Noun
  • But when a patient recognizes him from his dangerous past, Brown has eight hours to elude the government, mob hitmen, quack surgeons, and a trail of dead gangsters to somehow beat the reaper.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Somebody like Gilroy or Jeff Kober and Barry Corbin (popping up occasionally as a pair of geriatric gangsters) will come and go in situations knowingly designed to feel contrived.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of gangsters
Noun
  • Fresno is emerging as an unexpected draw for younger residents priced out of coastal hubs, with affordable homes and jobs — but newcomers are pushing up rents and prices.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • So while remixing one’s own work of the past may be a cool curio for serious fans, collaboration among genre titans and newcomers could be the real key to getting rap back in the conversation and on the charts.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of newcomers
Noun
  • In the decade of violent conflicts that followed, attacks on border towns and seizures of American property by revolutionaries and bandits prompted the United States to send two military expeditions into Mexico.
    — Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Joining Prue is her classmate Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay), and the two enter a world of talking animals, bandits and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of bandits

Browse Nearby Words

punk
punks
punt
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Cite this Entry

“Punks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punks. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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