as in to punish
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
the player was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct
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Recent Examples of penalize
People who use generative AI quite frequently in their daily lives – at least every other day – did penalize AI use slightly less when AI authorship was disclosed, compared with people who never or rarely use AI.
—
Andras Molnar, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
California law penalizes abuse of a child under 14 especially harshly.
—Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
He should be penalized for that.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2026
Here are seven golfers, reporters and fans who have reportedly been banned, disinvited or penalized at the Masters Tournament.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penalize
Andras Molnar, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
California law penalizes abuse of a child under 14 especially harshly.
—Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
He should be penalized for that.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2026
Here are seven golfers, reporters and fans who have reportedly been banned, disinvited or penalized at the Masters Tournament.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalize
punish
Verb
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Those tensions hit a new high when Reuters published an internal Defense Department email last week that proposed punishing Britain for its position on Iran by reviewing America’s position on the Falkland Islands.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
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Under Díaz-Canel, the Cuban government has passed several laws and decrees to punish the sharing of opposition views, including on social media.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalize. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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