as in correctional
inflicting, involving, or serving as punishment
any misbehavior was immediately met with a punitive response the company had to pay a million dollars in punitive damages
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Recent Examples of punitive
But punitive measures hardly seem to have slowed their roll.
—
Adriana Lee, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024
Yet, critics contend that the wall represents a misguided allocation of resources, with many experts arguing that immigration challenges require comprehensive reforms rather than punitive measures.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 3 Nov. 2024
These are punitive settings, not therapeutic settings.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2024
If passed, the amendments would end the practice of forcing inmates to work for less than $1 an hour or face additional punitive measures.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punitive 
Adriana Lee, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024
Yet, critics contend that the wall represents a misguided allocation of resources, with many experts arguing that immigration challenges require comprehensive reforms rather than punitive measures.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 3 Nov. 2024
These are punitive settings, not therapeutic settings.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2024
If passed, the amendments would end the practice of forcing inmates to work for less than $1 an hour or face additional punitive measures.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punitive
Thesaurus Entries Near punitive
Cite this Entry
“Punitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punitive. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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