1
as in fine
a sum of money to be paid as a punishment
the penalty for speeding is $10 for every mile over the speed limit
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2
as in punishment
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense
in some cases, the new penalties for drug offenses were harsher than those for violent crimes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disadvantage
the negative result caused by something that creates difficulty for achieving success
suffered the penalty of his decision to leave school without graduating
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of penalty
With the maximum penalty for statutory damages at $150,000 per infringing incident, the lawsuit has a potential price tag of over $621 million.
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Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2024
The defense must eliminate costly penalties (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The Rams enabled the Bills to keep alive several scoring drives by committing penalties.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
The loan would reset every 30 days, the principal growing each month alongside the compounding interest in a convoluted death trap of penalties, fees, and clawbacks.
—Josh Condon, Robb Report, 8 Dec. 2024
The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was reportedly fined for the fourth time this season, and his latest penalty is his most costly yet.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for penalty 
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2024
The defense must eliminate costly penalties (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The Rams enabled the Bills to keep alive several scoring drives by committing penalties.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
The loan would reset every 30 days, the principal growing each month alongside the compounding interest in a convoluted death trap of penalties, fees, and clawbacks.
—Josh Condon, Robb Report, 8 Dec. 2024
The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was reportedly fined for the fourth time this season, and his latest penalty is his most costly yet.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for penalty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalty
Noun
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The law will also mean Apple and Google will have to remove the app from their respective stores, or they could be slapped with hefty fines, potentially into the hundreds of billions of dollars.Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
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In some cities, police now give drivers a voucher to fix their vehicle instead of a ticket and a fine, Wexler said.Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The 7-year-old alleged their hands had been duct taped behind their back at one point and said they and their siblings were hit with a belt as a punishment.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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These Latino families have an answer Taliban affirms that stoning will be punishment for adulterers — especially women RFK Jr. is not alone.Marc Silver, NPR, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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For several decades, solo cruise travelers found themselves at a financial disadvantage compared to couples and families.David Nikel, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
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Dolphins will be at a rest disadvantage the rest of the way Miami will play the Texans coming off a bye, meaning Houston will have a full seven-day rest advantage.Steve Svekis, Sun Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Many political observers toasted Abe as a geopolitical Trump whisperer who helped shield Japan from his wrath.William Pesek, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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The leader, who has long faced Beijing’s wrath for championing Taiwan’s sovereignty, used his travel to tout solidarity with likeminded democracies.Wayne Chang, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Thompson's death sparked a wide social media conversation over frustrations with navigating the U.S. health insurance system, particularly when medical expenses are not covered or insurance claims or requests for care are denied.Sriparna Roy, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2024
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The higher medical expenses have also hit UnitedHealth’s rivals, including Humana and CVS Health’s Aetna, which have seen historic spikes in costs, particularly in their Medicare Advantage plans in part due to seniors seeking more medical care than in the past.Bruce Japsen, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near penalty
Cite this Entry
“Penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalty. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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