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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of punch
Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
The Baltimore Ravens punched their ticket to the postseason and kept their hopes for a division title alive Saturday.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 22 Dec. 2024
Rachael Mendizabal, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2024
Together, the pair have leaned into Hollywood glamour with knockout gowns that pack a punch.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punch 
Verb
The first-person action-adventure game lets players step into Indy's boots and experience the thrill of exploring ancient tombs and punching nazis directly.
—Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
The Baltimore Ravens punched their ticket to the postseason and kept their hopes for a division title alive Saturday.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 22 Dec. 2024
Noun
Tucked between Italy and Croatia in central Europe, Slovenia is a compact country that packs a punch.
—Rachael Mendizabal, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2024
Together, the pair have leaned into Hollywood glamour with knockout gowns that pack a punch.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for punch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punch
Verb
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Kerby Joseph came over and pushed Jennings into the stands while Arnold slapped the player in the helmet.Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 31 Dec. 2024
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Super Mario 64 has such spectacular vibes, with bright, colorful graphics, music that absolutely slaps, and level design that, while basic, is more than good enough to get the job done.George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Collecting a pass from Locatelli, Thuram drove into the box before drilling a low shot beyond David De Gea and into the bottom corner of the net.Adam Digby, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
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Our readers wanted to know more about power beaming, new kinds of nuclear fusion, vertical solar farms, powerful ways to drill deeper into the Earth’s crust to harness geothermal energy, and grid hardware that connects renewable energy projects.IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In 2023, Ukraine was the fastest shrinking country in the world as the Russian invasion is driving its citizens from their homeland in scores.Katharina Buchholz, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
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Share [Findings] Climate change was expected to drive American lobsters to seek deeper waters, beavers to colonize new parts of Canada, and wolf spiders in the high Arctic to produce a second annual brood.Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Don't let the small can fool you though, this high will smack you in the face.Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 20 Dec. 2024
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Freeman, who had been struggling through an ankle injury, smacked the first pitch from Nestor Cortes 413 feet in the 10th inning of Game 1 for the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.NBC Los Angeles, NBC News, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Bake in preheated oven until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
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So it also is grounded in a kind of reality, even though piercing the sternum with the vampire's teeth is ludicrous.Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Receiver Jordan Whittington set up the field goal with a 50-yard catch and run after Nehemiah Pritchett fell down.Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2025
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And never run the extension cord underneath a rug or plug it into a power strip.Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Palm Springs hits its peak while the rest of America braces against the gloom and the cold.David Hochman, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
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Shake Milton, playing because guard Gabe Vincent missed Tuesday’s game because of an oblique injury, hit a pair of threes in 10 minutes, but the Lakers’ second unit without Russell was badly outscored 32-12.Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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For all the holes that will try to be poked in Penn State’s Playoff resume in the next week-plus, the reality is this group does a lot of things well.Audrey Snyder, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
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The following day, Wilson poked fun at herself on Instagram, posting a video of herself jumping up and down, dancing and squatting in a pair of brown bell-bottoms and a whole new show outfit.Lori A Bashian Fox News, Fox News, 30 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near punch
Cite this Entry
“Punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punch. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.
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