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
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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
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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
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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
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Examples of punch in a Sentence
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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Recent Examples on the Web
Al Shipley, SPIN, 1 Nov. 2024
His comments were made a day before a man wearing a MAGA hat was arrested for allegedly punching a poll worker in Bexar County, Texas.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
That gut punch was much more severe than a Hail Mary loss in the seventh game of a Bears’ season.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punch 
Verb
Southern Accents went off the rails in the studio, though, and Petty broke his left hand after punching a wall in frustration.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 1 Nov. 2024
His comments were made a day before a man wearing a MAGA hat was arrested for allegedly punching a poll worker in Bexar County, Texas.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
But, the Dodgers certainly didn’t chase the knockout punch, either.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
That gut punch was much more severe than a Hail Mary loss in the seventh game of a Bears’ season.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch
Verb
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Trump’s talk of slapping 20 percent tariffs onto everything sold to America, including European exports, could spell disaster for Europe’s economy.New York Times, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2024
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Trump’s last term saw the Republican slap tariffs on hundreds of billions worth of Chinese goods, launch a campaign against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and use racist language to describe the virus that causes Covid-19, which was first identified in China.Simone McCarthy, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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To put Golden State ahead, Anderson drilled three 3-pointers in a row.Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
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Wells drilled too close to a river can divert water that would have fed the river's flow.Clara Migoya, The Arizona Republic, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Micaela Hanning, Crean Lutheran: The transfer from Calvary Chapel is an explosive point guard who can strike from the perimeter and drive to the basket.Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 7 Nov. 2024
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In 2021, Gonzalez-Nunez allegedly drove a car in a sideshow while his girlfriend hung out of the window with an miniature AK-47.Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Last night Prospect Park, smack in the middle of Brooklyn, caught fire.Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 9 Nov. 2024
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Director Bruce Goodison applies the tension well in the first two thirds of this efficient Shudder release, but then the plot smacks into a dead-end in its final act.Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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One of the bullets brushed his spine and another pierced his bladder, leaving him with a permanent catheter.Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
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Procedures Your healthcare provider may also suggest a nipple retractor or piercing for a longer-term solution.Brandi Jones, MSN-Ed, Health, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Exasperated Cowboys want explanation for no-call on 49ers’ key touchdown pass Ricky Pearsall • WR Wide open most of the game, Pearsall looked like the perfect Niners’ receiver on his 46-yard touchdown catch, running a deep dig behind the linebackers.Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
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Place eggs in an ice bath to cool or run under cold water 4.Ashia Aubourg, Outside Online, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
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There was no immediate report of casualties or details on what was hit.Reuters, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
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But the latest model still pushes battery life to lengths few machines have hit in our testing, with an unprecedented 28 hours and 33 minutes of video playback time.Brian Westover, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Sometimes, the cop even pokes fun at the suspect’s inability to sprint, calling them out for being out of shape.Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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The Russian and Chinese militaries are exercising with each other more regularly and even poking the U.S. in the eye on occasion — in July, the U.S. Air Force intercepted a few Russian and Chinese bomber aircraft operating in Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone.Daniel DePetris, Twin Cities, 3 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near punch
Cite this Entry
“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.
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