punish

verb

ˈpə-nish How to pronounce punish (audio)
Definition of punishnext
as in to penalize
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime the child was punished for breaking dishes on purpose if caught, the thief will be severely punished

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word punish distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of punish are castigate, chasten, chastise, correct, and discipline. While all these words mean "to inflict a penalty on in requital for wrongdoing," punish implies subjecting to a penalty for wrongdoing.

punished for stealing

When is castigate a more appropriate choice than punish?

Although the words castigate and punish have much in common, castigate usually implies a severe, typically public censure.

an editorial castigating the entire city council

When might chasten be a better fit than punish?

The meanings of chasten and punish largely overlap; however, chasten suggests any affliction or trial that leaves one humbled or subdued.

chastened by a landslide election defeat

In what contexts can chastise take the place of punish?

In some situations, the words chastise and punish are roughly equivalent. However, chastise may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation.

chastised his son for neglecting his studies

When can correct be used instead of punish?

The words correct and punish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, correct implies punishing aimed at reforming an offender.

the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer

When would discipline be a good substitute for punish?

The words discipline and punish can be used in similar contexts, but discipline implies a punishing or chastening in order to bring under control.

parents must discipline their children

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 punish The Dolphins, who punished themselves for presnap penalties Wednesday by running postpractice sprints, had flags thrown on three consecutive plays at one point midway through Thursday’s practice. —Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 24 July 2025 Meteorologists expect parts of Kentucky to endure a stretch of days with punishing temperatures and dew points starting July 23, sparking heat advisories and extreme heat warnings for parts of west and central Kentucky, according to the National Weather Service in Louisville. —Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 July 2025 While serving in the Oregon House of Representatives last year, Bynum co-sponsored a bill, now law, barring athletic associations from punishing athletes over actual or alleged rule violations that contravene state statutes. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 21 July 2025 This punishes exposure but doesn’t reward preparedness. —Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for punish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punish
  1. penalize
  2. fine
  3. criticize
  4. chastise
  5. sentence
  6. convict
  7. discipline
  8. correct
Verb
  • The city government will also set up an agency to enforce the rent law and penalize offenders.
    — Gerardo Lemos, CNN Money, 17 July 2025
  • But without clear guidance, AI tools often penalize them.
    — Stanislava Tarasiuk, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Definition of penalize
Verb
  • He was fined four more times in 2012 and 2013, then suspended again in 2014 for stepping on Aaron Rodgers’ calf, which was later reversed into another fine.
    — Tobias Bass, New York Times, 12 July 2025
  • Drivers caught speeding can be ticketed and fined, with the penalty depending on their speed.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 11 July 2025
Definition of fine
Verb
  • Many airlines have long relied on aging computer systems, and the aviation industry has been criticized for failing to modernize swiftly.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 22 July 2025
  • Even Bennington's family, namely mother Susan Eubanks and son Jaime Bennington, criticized the lineup change.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 21 July 2025
Definition of criticize
Verb
  • The three chastised her for contacting Uthmeier without holding a special meeting or consulting with the other commissioners.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
  • Councilmember Rodriguez chastised both Park and Soto-Martínez.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025
Definition of chastise
Verb
  • On June 13, Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced Madigan to 7.5 years in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of $2.5 million.
    — Jim Talamonti, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2025
  • On Friday, July 18, Verduzco was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prison as well as one concurrent term of three years in prison for driving under the influence of alcohol, causing injury.
    — Charna Flam, People.com, 19 July 2025
Definition of sentence
Verb
  • Ryan Widmer, convicted of murder in the 2008 drowning of his wife, will have a parole hearing July 30.
    — Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 24 July 2025
  • Smith was arrested in March 2013 and was age 43 when convicted of second-degree murder, felony murder and arson, according to the lawsuit.
    — Christina Hall, Freep.com, 23 July 2025
Definition of convict
Verb
  • My face is the hole through which the status quo enters me, disciplines me.
    — Michael W. Clune, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
  • How to ensure students are being disciplined fairly Advocates for school resource officers say the reality is that police are going to be in schools — and therefore, the best approach is for police to know students by name.
    — Cleo Krejci, jsonline.com, 15 July 2025
Definition of discipline
Verb
  • This means Single-bit errors are automatically corrected in hardware and Double-bit errors are detected and flagged, but not corrected.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 July 2025
  • Trump believes that instituting (or threatening to institute) tariffs is one way to correct this.
    — William Z. Fox, Baltimore Sun, 14 July 2025
Definition of correct

Browse Nearby Words

puniness
punish
punishable
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Cite this Entry

“Punish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punish. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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