1
as in slapped
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
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2
as in drilled
to make a hole or series of holes in
punch a ticket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of punched
The Rockets are a team that lost its starting point guard (Fred VanVleet) at the start of the year while the Knicks brought back and built upon the exact same core that punched the franchise’s first ticket to the conference finals in the last quarter-century.
—
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Manning allegedly punched and kicked Hartman in the face and torso, scratched her, choked her and grabbed her by the hair and slammed her against the floor and wall.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Arizona, meanwhile, punched its ticket by steamrolling Purdue, 79–64, snapping a decades-long Final Four drought in the process.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The University of Michigan men's basketball team is Final Four-bound, while the men's hockey program also punched its ticket to the Frozen Four.
—Jack Springgate, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The Heat clinched at least a play-in berth on Saturday night, with their postseason ticket punched with a Milwaukee Bucks loss.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2026
One of the officers then punched Curry on the side of the head with enough force that his head snapped to the side, according to the court document.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The first tickets were punched to the women’s Final Four as well on Sunday as UConn and UCLA won their Elite Eight matchups.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
Sherrie James, a Houston resident, told local news outlet KHOU 11 that a possible meteorite, remnants from the meteor that was spotted, punched a hole through her ceiling and landed in one of the upstairs bedrooms in her home.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Manning allegedly punched and kicked Hartman in the face and torso, scratched her, choked her and grabbed her by the hair and slammed her against the floor and wall.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Arizona, meanwhile, punched its ticket by steamrolling Purdue, 79–64, snapping a decades-long Final Four drought in the process.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The University of Michigan men's basketball team is Final Four-bound, while the men's hockey program also punched its ticket to the Frozen Four.
—Jack Springgate, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The Heat clinched at least a play-in berth on Saturday night, with their postseason ticket punched with a Milwaukee Bucks loss.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2026
One of the officers then punched Curry on the side of the head with enough force that his head snapped to the side, according to the court document.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The first tickets were punched to the women’s Final Four as well on Sunday as UConn and UCLA won their Elite Eight matchups.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
Sherrie James, a Houston resident, told local news outlet KHOU 11 that a possible meteorite, remnants from the meteor that was spotted, punched a hole through her ceiling and landed in one of the upstairs bedrooms in her home.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punched
Verb
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Williams then flailed his arms behind him and slapped Doncic in the throat.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
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Anduril has also signed deals with companies in Japan and South Korea, as well as the government of Taiwan; that last partnership caught the ire of Beijing, which slapped sanctions on both Anduril and Luckey last year.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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About 2 minutes and 40 seconds into the fight, Grasso drilled Barber in the head with a left hook, knocking her out.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2026
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Corjay gathered the rebound and drilled a 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining for the game-winner.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nico Hoerner, batting leadoff for the first time this season, was 3-for-5 with two doubles while Matt Shaw had two hits and drove in two runs for the Cubs (3-3).—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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After tracking down the address, Sanchez and her daughter drove to the 3-bedroom house on Eureka Drive and extracted Cesar.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When Zuccarello took a swipe with his stick and smacked McCarron in the leg, the big man responded with a Oscar-worthy acting job, feigning like he had been slashed on the wrist.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
20 Mar. 2026
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Krogstad smacked two doubles and drove in three runs.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The bullet that struck McKay passed through his arm, pierced his torso and struck his heart inside the Key Gardens burger joint, on Metropolitan Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
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When mixture returns to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook potatoes until they can be pierced with a fork but do not fall apart, about 10 minutes.—
C.W. Cameron,
AJC.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That's when authorities said the homeowner allegedly pointed a gun at the worker, sending him running for his life.—
Erika Stanish,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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At a balloon release in November 2024 honoring his memory, family members described Williams, who ran his own carpet-cleaning business, as a hardworking, kind, gentle man devoted to his family and faith.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Video and witness statements, police said, revealed that Hussain was assaulted in the building’s lobby, struck and knocked to the ground before being forced toward his apartment.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Then in 1998, Buttered Popcorn knocked it from the top spot.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Thorns forward poked the ball through and Ball kicked her leg into Wilson’s path, taking her down inside the box.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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Since then, the president has repeatedly poked at the vulnerability.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Punched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punched. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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