1
as in to slap
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
after the man had punched the bartender for eighty-sixing him, bouncers stepped in and restrained him until the police could arrive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in
punch a ticket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in impact
the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect
the real punch of the speech came in its closing lines
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in vigor
active strength of body or mind
we're going to need a candidate with real punch if voters are ever going to get excited about this election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the poor palooka wasn't able to land a single punch on his opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in puncture
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument
old computers used to get information by reading the punches on a series of cards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of punch
Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Republicans punching above their weight Republican candidates, meanwhile, are remaining competitive despite far lower spending.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 2 May 2026
While the end of Spirit Airlines at MCI packs a punch for budget travel options, there are other airlines that offer the same destinations to and from Kansas City, Overstreet said.
—Kendrick Calfee
may 2, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for punch
Verb
Atkinson, who finished with eight saves, punched away a shot from Aissata Traoré before denying an even better scoring chance for Boston moments later.
—Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Republicans punching above their weight Republican candidates, meanwhile, are remaining competitive despite far lower spending.
—Grace Hase, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
The challenger became more aggressive after the sixth round, moving forward to try to land punches.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
While the end of Spirit Airlines at MCI packs a punch for budget travel options, there are other airlines that offer the same destinations to and from Kansas City, Overstreet said.
—Kendrick Calfee
may 2, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch
Verb
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That put an end to the zero-tariff trade environment for exporters on both sides of the Atlantic and slapped new duties onto Scotch whisky and other spirits sent to America from Britain.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
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But what's really cool is that these are not just standard off-the-rack clubs that the folks at McLaren slapped their logo onto.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Edgecombe drilled a 3-pointer right before halftime and two more in the third quarter, after which the Sixers led, 90-89.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
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Brown declared, pulling a handle that started drilling the first hole of soil tests for a subway that planners estimated could be built in just three years.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
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And in recent years, a new crop of miners driven by rising gold prices have sought to return to the landscape.—
Sarah Raza,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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Further, the tax disincentivizes success, weakens California’s standing as a hub for innovation, and demonizes the wealthy – all of which erode investment, drive economic activity elsewhere, and are ultimately incompatible with America’s capitalist roots.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Adams, who lived in Diggs' home while working for him, walked into the Dedham police station on December 16 alleging that two weeks earlier, Diggs had smacked her across the face and choked her.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
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Ruiz, making his fourth start, has hit two home runs in 14 Marlins plate appearances after smacking seven in his first 621 in the big leagues.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
Verb
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This tank, more than any of its Allied counterparts, sent German designers back to the drawing board to produce the next generation of tanks that featured heavier armor and higher-velocity cannons with greater range and armor-piercing capability.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
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In Inverted Tree, Man for Hire (2004), for example, the trunk of a wily branched tree bears a piercing gaze.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The Knicks made life difficult for him in the halfcourt, and once that happened, Atlanta’s offense kept running into dead ends.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Funding to run the Orange Line 24 hours a day, one of the first major service improvements that acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen floated after lawmakers approved new transit funding last fall.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Carson Richter hit a grand slam for Newbury Park.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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Austin Hays then hit a grounder to third baseman Manny Machado.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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When Andrei Vasilevskiy tried to poke the puck away, Bolduc had moved so deep into the crease area that the puck went off him and into the net for his first career playoff goal.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The host also poked fun at the Trumps’ living separately despite being married for 22 years.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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