1
as in fine
a sum of money to be paid as a punishment
the penalty for speeding is $10 for every mile over the speed limit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in punishment
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
in some cases, the new penalties for drug offenses were harsher than those for violent crimes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disadvantage
the negative result caused by something that creates difficulty for achieving success
suffered the penalty of his decision to leave school without graduating
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of penalty
The result of not planning is often confusion at best and penalties at worst.
—
Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Another federal change to SNAP specifically would shift more administrative costs to states — or, in Minnesota's case, counties tasked with delivering these services — and hit them with a penalty of 6% of payments made in error.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
There were no penalties on the first one but on the second one, the Sabres actually got a power play on it when Zadorov was tagged with a double-minor while Beck Malenstyn only got two minutes.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
The Checkers have a tough leader Hockey teams’ leading scorers are not often the team’s leader in penalty minutes, but that’s the case for Charlotte.
—Steve Lyttle, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penalty
Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Another federal change to SNAP specifically would shift more administrative costs to states — or, in Minnesota's case, counties tasked with delivering these services — and hit them with a penalty of 6% of payments made in error.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
There were no penalties on the first one but on the second one, the Sabres actually got a power play on it when Zadorov was tagged with a double-minor while Beck Malenstyn only got two minutes.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
The Checkers have a tough leader Hockey teams’ leading scorers are not often the team’s leader in penalty minutes, but that’s the case for Charlotte.
—Steve Lyttle, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penalty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalty
Noun
-
Failure to enact required changes could result in big fines.—
Robert Pearlman,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Per the newspaper, committing mischief can carry a sentence of up to two years in jail, a fine or both.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In its decision, the court noted that the point of disciplinary action was not punishment, but to protect the public from further misconduct by an attorney and other attorneys.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The jury will decide his punishment.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The congresswoman was at a disadvantage, unquestionably, in trying to defend against criminal charges at the same time as the House probe.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The real twist here is a disadvantage because, in losing, Christian has to take an envelope back to camp and read its contents in front of his tribe mates.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During closing arguments, Lynn Johnson, an attorney for Christine and Christopher Nolte, suggested the jury award $10 million for noneconomic damages and $5 million for economic damages.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Tom Steyer The Democratic billionaire hedge fund founder who is positioning himself as the climate candidate in the race touted his drive to make oil companies pay for damages from climate change, including rising insurance rates and homes lost to wildfires.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Or risk the wrath of being on the wrong side.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The immediate object of Uthmeier’s wrath is the Rooney Rule, voluntarily adopted more than two decades ago by the NFL to ensure that minority candidates are interviewed for coaching positions.—
Howard L. Simon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Fuel is one of the largest expenses for airlines.—
Mae Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
The growth in units outpaced Amazon’s fulfillment expenses, which grew 9 percent year over year, as well as outbound shipping costs, which were up 12 percent.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalty. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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