punished; punishing; punishes
1
a
: to impose a penalty on for a fault, offense, or violation
b
: to inflict a penalty for the commission of (an offense) in retribution or retaliation
2
a
: to deal with roughly or harshly
b
: to inflict injury on : hurt
: to inflict punishment
Synonyms
Examples of punish in a Sentence
I think that murderers should be punished by life imprisonment.
She was punished for lying.
His parents punished him by taking away his allowance.
How should I punish my child's misbehavior?
State law punishes fraud with fines.
Recent Examples on the Web
The security force punished people who resisted or tried to escape by tying them to trees outside, according to witness testimony and reports from the Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights.
—
Alexis Okeowo, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
The judiciary is also severely punishing those whose conduct and speech might have facilitated the riots.
—Abigail Anthony, National Review, 18 Aug. 2024
Most state price-gouging bans punish violators with civil penalties enforced by the state attorney general, while other measures impose criminal penalties, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a group that tracks state laws.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2024
Girls cannot go to high school, women are officially banned from working in most jobs, movement outside the home is heavily restricted and often punished.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, TIME, 15 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punish 
Alexis Okeowo, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
The judiciary is also severely punishing those whose conduct and speech might have facilitated the riots.
—Abigail Anthony, National Review, 18 Aug. 2024
Most state price-gouging bans punish violators with civil penalties enforced by the state attorney general, while other measures impose criminal penalties, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a group that tracks state laws.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2024
Girls cannot go to high school, women are officially banned from working in most jobs, movement outside the home is heavily restricted and often punished.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, TIME, 15 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punish
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near punish
Cite this Entry
“Punish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punish. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
punish
transitive verb
pun·ish
ˈpə-nish 
1
: to impose a penalty on for a fault, offense, or violation
2
: to inflict a penalty for the commission of (an offense) in retribution or retaliation or as a deterrent
: to inflict punishment
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