as in penalty
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
he is serving five years in prison as punishment for aggravated assault
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of punishment
In the wake of Kirk’s murder, and the high-profile punishments incurred by those who weren’t properly remorseful, Kirk morphed into one of the most widespread memes in recent memory.
—
Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Former Minnesota Vikings captain and Minnesota Golden Gophers football star Jack Brewer has witnessed an arc of crime and punishment involving his state's Somali community.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
And that’s going to be hard to do if Americans see their tax returns not as a fair contribution to the greater good but as a punishment or an injustice.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
That setting quickly transforms into a punishment the seemingly clueless time traveler may never escape.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Former Minnesota Vikings captain and Minnesota Golden Gophers football star Jack Brewer has witnessed an arc of crime and punishment involving his state's Somali community.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
And that’s going to be hard to do if Americans see their tax returns not as a fair contribution to the greater good but as a punishment or an injustice.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
That setting quickly transforms into a punishment the seemingly clueless time traveler may never escape.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punishment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishment
Noun
-
Dallas’ power play looks borderline unstoppable, and Minnesota’s penalty kill looks overwhelmed.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The penalties were imposed in September after an investigation by the sheriff’s internal affairs unit.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Or risk the wrath of being on the wrong side.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishment. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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