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
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 penalty is a mere $200 fine, and members have not been punished for said violations.
—
Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 25 May 2025
The United States halted a punishing bombing campaign against the Houthis this month, saying the rebels had pledged to stop attacking ships.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
The Take it Down Act will punish offenders and require tech platforms to remove such images within 48 hours of receiving a valid request.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 24 May 2025
In February, a civil rights complaint was filed with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights on behalf of a teenage girl in Washington state who was allegedly punished for refusing to play a basketball game against a trans athlete.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for punish
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Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 25 May 2025
The United States halted a punishing bombing campaign against the Houthis this month, saying the rebels had pledged to stop attacking ships.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
The Take it Down Act will punish offenders and require tech platforms to remove such images within 48 hours of receiving a valid request.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 24 May 2025
In February, a civil rights complaint was filed with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights on behalf of a teenage girl in Washington state who was allegedly punished for refusing to play a basketball game against a trans athlete.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for punish
Cite this Entry
“Punish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punish. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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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