punishment

noun

ˈpə-nish-mənt How to pronounce punishment (audio)
Definition of punishmentnext
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

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 punishment This might sound like some kind of punishment or endurance challenge today, but in Ancient Rome this was just a standard public restroom. — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026 The films also involve normie couples caught up in hauntings, dealt Old Testament–style punishments by forces from the great beyond. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 At a certain point, the punishment can be unsatisfying and lose its impact. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026 In cases of rape and murder, the punishment is life imprisonment. — Arshad R. Zargar, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for punishment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishment
  1. penalty
  2. wrath
Noun
  • After offside penalty on the Hawks on the PAT, the Warriors go for two and failed to convert on a wide receiver reverse.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Fisk and Overton use three surveys to trace how expectations of harsher penalties for failure can dampen women’s leadership ambitions.
    — Laura Clawson, JSTOR Daily, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of penalty
Noun
  • Instead of targeting Watson, several of those same fans should’ve saved their wrath and looked in the mirror.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Natalie and her mother, perhaps fearing the wrath incurred by the cardinal sin, denied the cause of his death.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrath

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punishing
punishment
punishments
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Cite this Entry

“Punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishment. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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