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 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 And everyone else was private school punks. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 22 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
  • The music industry has been wrestling with the pros and cons of the new technology that allows musical novices to create professional-sounding songs in seconds.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Studies of customer service representatives using AI assistance found that novices gained most from AI coaching suggestions, but critically, those learning effects transferred beyond specific situations.
    — ByJonathan H. Westover, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of novices
Noun
  • Shortly after his big win, he’s attacked by two thugs in a parking garage.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 July 2026
  • The night of the title fight, Duke is attacked by two thugs who smash his hand with a hammer and, in the ensuing chaos, kill somebody close to him.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
Definition of thugs
Noun
  • For absolute beginners, Quynh advises trying liquid concealer first.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Fortunately, actual makeup artists say that anyone—even complete beginners—can get comfortable with and good at doing their own makeup.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of beginners
Noun
  • Spencer says filmmaker Douglas wanted to very much focus mostly on the women rather than talking about the criminals.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Depending on the plan, monitoring may cover credit activity, financial accounts, investment and retirement accounts, phone takeovers, SIM swaps, utility accounts and other areas where criminals may try to use your identity.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminals
Noun
  • With the money, the museum is able to sustain, among other things, an internship program for teaching apprentices and a speaker series.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 11 Aug. 2026
  • City Colleges recently launched Chicago Moonshot, an apprenticeship initiative associated with the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park, where the district has committed to graduating hundreds of IT apprentices over the next five years.
    — Shalin Jyotishi, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of apprentices
Noun
  • This high-security prison is a sprawling complex that houses thousands of detainees, including notorious gangsters, terrorists and prominent white-collar offenders.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Especially when the protagonists are fighting gangsters, offensive editors, twitchy Vatican librarians, and an oversized Jason Momoa, to claim the hand of Gal Gadot’s two characters, one in the present, one in the past.
    — A.D. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of gangsters
Noun
  • Variety has also obtained an exclusive new image from the film, which stars Antonia Buresi alongside newcomers Colas Quignard, Suzanne Gerin and Mitia Capellier-Audat.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Backup quarterbacks Justin Fields and Garrett Nussmeier figure to get the bulk of the snaps, at least early, and the performances among newcomers at running back and the defensive interior will be among the biggest curiosities.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of newcomers
Noun
  • Armed groups, known as bandits in Nigeria, regularly carry out raids and kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and north-central parts of the country.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The area was wild and uninhabited, but the bandits moved through it with practiced ease.
    — Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 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 19 Aug. 2026.

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