1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
she plays a punk game of tennis, so you won't have any trouble beating her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in horrible
extremely unsatisfactory
the acting in the movie ranged all the way from poor to punk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
I've been feeling punk today
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in novice
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity
an impertinent punk who was trying to tell senior colleagues how to do their jobs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
the vigilante was hailed by some as a hero for standing up to the punks who had repeatedly threatened his family
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in garbage
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
claims made by cosmetic companies about their antiaging creams that turned out to be a lot of punk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of punk
Chris Morris, Variety, 2 Apr. 2023
Absolutely, particularly in 1976 and ’77 when all those English punk bands were genuinely punk.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2021
Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 4 Feb. 2025
The pieces defied beauty with a punk, yet sophisticated sensibility, while black butterflies and flowers turned the rebellious mohican more delicate.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for punk 
Adjective
In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Sire presciently signed or distributed music by a variety of top-flight punk and post-punk groups from the U.S. and abroad.
—Chris Morris, Variety, 2 Apr. 2023
Absolutely, particularly in 1976 and ’77 when all those English punk bands were genuinely punk.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2021
Noun
Palmer, who lives in upstate New York, made her mark as part of the punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 4 Feb. 2025
The pieces defied beauty with a punk, yet sophisticated sensibility, while black butterflies and flowers turned the rebellious mohican more delicate.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for punk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punk
Adjective
-
Nissan's board has decided that Honda’s terms for a merger are unacceptable, according to the Wall Street Journal.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA TODAY,
6 Feb. 2025
-
White explained that the UFC had informed Mitchell that his comments were unacceptable.—
Sam Gillette,
People.com,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile the parents had suffered years of horrible harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers.—
Rochelle Eastman,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
-
His death was so horrible that people still don’t talk about it.—
Julie Seabaugh,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
And in one case, a person got it from handling sick and or dead birds in a backyard flock.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2025
-
Dairy farmers with infected herds reported large die-offs of wild birds near their farms before their cows got sick, according to the USDA.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
But both the novice and the veteran responded to Trump’s threats with grace and finesse.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2025
-
The skaters were part of the National Development Team, a training program for top juvenile, intermediate and novice figure skaters.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
1 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The investigation leads Cole into an ugly world of red-neck thugs and disappeared girls.—
Sandra Dallas,
The Denver Post,
2 Feb. 2025
-
How many of you recall the TV image on Jan. 6, 2021, of Officer Daniel Hodges, squashed in a revolving door at the U.S. Capitol, screaming for help as MAGA thugs beat on his head?—
Trudy Rubin,
The Mercury News,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The plummeting property values bled Gary of tax revenue for roads, schools, street lights, firefighters, garbage pickup.—
Paige Williams,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Over five hours, the group trimmed foliage, picked up trash and stuffed everything into a roll-off garbage bin provided by the city of San Diego.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Apparently some astrologer told Céline the wrong info.—
Erika W. Smith,
Vogue,
11 Feb. 2025
-
But to not be able to talk and think about health without understanding the undercurrent of social factors impacting our health is wrong.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
There have been plenty of terrible Oscar hosts over the years but this was a car crash that could easily have been avoided.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Secrets bob to the surface like drowning victims from the deep until nobody — not even the reader — can easily separate the terrible truth from even more terrible fictions.—
M.L. Rio,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near punk
Cite this Entry
“Punk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punk. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share