1
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
after the man had punched the bartender for eighty-sixing him, bouncers stepped in and restrained him until the police could arrive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in
punch a ticket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in impact
the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect
the real punch of the speech came in its closing lines
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in vigor
active strength of body or mind
we're going to need a candidate with real punch if voters are ever going to get excited about this election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the poor palooka wasn't able to land a single punch on his opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in puncture
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument
old computers used to get information by reading the punches on a series of cards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of punch
Christine Pelisek, People.com, 2 June 2025
McCallum earned his nickname by repeatedly punching the body and head.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Jenelle Riley, Variety, 2 June 2025
Among the Afro-Caribbean food and drink options inside the stadium were Jamaican beef patties, jerk chicken burgers, fruit punches and Supermalt.
Nigerian supporter Cliff Ediale came while celebrating his 28th birthday.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch
Verb
The suspect missed and then punched the worker in the chest before running off.
—Christine Pelisek, People.com, 2 June 2025
McCallum earned his nickname by repeatedly punching the body and head.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Noun
And the finality of it just really was a gut punch.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 2 June 2025
Among the Afro-Caribbean food and drink options inside the stadium were Jamaican beef patties, jerk chicken burgers, fruit punches and Supermalt.
Nigerian supporter Cliff Ediale came while celebrating his 28th birthday.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch
Verb
-
Five months after passing an ordinance to ban smoking in parks, the city of Fort Lauderdale finally slapped stickers on existing signs about this prohibition that do not get people’s attention.—
John Michael Pierobon,
Sun Sentinel,
25 May 2025
-
Over the course of two days, groups got the chance to see 21 humpback whales feed and raise their pectoral fin before slapping it against the water, along with 15 Risso’s dolphins, the group said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
Chisholm, fresh off the injured list following an oblique strain, drilled Tanner Bibee’s first pitch of the frame at 105.7 mph.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2025
-
Bryant continued making timely plays by drilling a corner 3 with about eight minutes left in the third quarter, his second of the night, to push Indiana’s lead to 11 points.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
Verb
-
Much of the innovation that drives societal progress and economic productivity does not emerge from revolutions in thought, but from the subtle extension and application of existing knowledge.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
-
During my visit, Leal and I drove in his vintage Jeep to 1900 Barker, a coffee shop on Lawrence’s main drag.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
Verb
-
The two smacked into each other last Thursday trying to catch a Cedric Mullins fly ball, leaving both with concussions.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
23 May 2025
-
Indiana’s first unit smacked opponents by 12.2 points per 100 possessions during the regular season, according to Cleaning the Glass.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Verb
-
Your allies probably have LGBTQ+ coworkers, cousins or that person from their yoga class who has a labret piercing and a rainbow carabiner.—
Anna Pulley,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
-
This mistake of not tackling law, tax and financial decisions in a unified manner results in the corporate veil being pierced, personal assets being liquidated, and even bankruptcies and liquidations.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
The deed restriction runs with the land for 99 years, meaning future owners are also subject to the covenant.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2025
-
By day, Chloe is running a women’s magazine, and Adam works at a tony law firm.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
29 May 2025
Verb
-
Lightning hits the United States approximately 25 million times annually.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 June 2025
-
After the Dodgers opted to intentionally walk Juan Soto to put runners on first and second with one out in the eighth inning, Alonso hit a single.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Within seconds, Phaedra poked fun at newbies Brit Eady, Angela Oakley, and Kelli Ferrell.—
Robyn Merrett,
StyleCaster,
25 May 2025
-
These two words have become an international meme, poking fun at Trump, especially since Putin ignored him.—
Trudy Rubin,
Twin Cities,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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