punishing 1 of 2

punishing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of punish

Examples 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 punishing
Verb
But punishing that behavior means bringing the hammer down on Vietnam, hardly a step that would win Washington strategic support in Hanoi, where a new leadership dominated by public security and military officials actually sees eye to eye with China in some areas. Evan A. Feigenbaum, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025 In an interview with The Athletic last month, Diggins described the feeling of finishing one of the most punishing endurance tests in all of sports. Zack Pierce, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025 In one of them, he’s accused of punishing the supervisors who tried to protect the officer Pearson punished for turning down his advances. Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2025 Restaurant cooking is a demanding, often punishing career with few formal benefits. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 3 Jan. 2025 Right now, Biden is seeking something — anything — that will cause future generations to view his presidency in a positive light, but nothing can change what will certainly be history’s punishing judgement of Biden’s blundering performance over the last four years. Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 2 Jan. 2025 Diverting people experiencing mental health crises into specialized courts offers a path forward, addressing root causes rather than punishing actions. Letitia James, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2025 Congress is pushing administrators to go further, with a bipartisan consensus forming around punishing students who question pro-Israel policies. Chicago Tribune, 30 Dec. 2024 Teams might be more reticent to part ways with first-round picks because of the new CBA, which features punishing restrictions for the league's most expensive rosters. Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punishing
Adjective
  • European tech leaders are concerned about the risk that punitive EU measures on U.S. tech firms could provoke a reaction from Trump, which might in turn cause the bloc to soften its approach.
    Ryan Browne, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
  • The former manager eventually filed an official police report in Detroit, and his attorneys are now asking for punitive and exemplary damages as well as general damages.
    Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, as if disciplining your demon seed wasn’t stressful enough, Rowan is also getting conflicting versions of mom-shaming from two Mayfair relatives, one of whom is actually deceased.
    Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2025
  • According to the order, Gonzales allegedly admitted to disciplining Perez with a belt.
    KC Baker, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Finally, Assad’s fall has fueled domestic discontent among loyalists to the regime in Tehran, with some calling the loss a strategic blunder and openly criticizing the government on state television.
    Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Shiney-Ajay said Harris should have spent additional time criticizing lawmakers—like Manchin and Congressional Republicans—who limited the administration's climate goals, using it as a chance to emphasize her intent to seek greater climate victories in the future.
    Alex J. Rouhandeh, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Through training and patience, owners can work on correcting the inappropriate barking behavior.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
  • The French formulation contains a blend of oils that nourish the hair while correcting its color.
    Jenny Berg, Allure, 31 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near punishing

Cite this Entry

“Punishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punishing. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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