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
With a merciless 56-22 thumping of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers punched their ticket to their first national championship game appearance in program history.
—
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
Jenkins brutally stomped and punched Coto, who was severely injured and put on life support.
—Tony Aiello, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
In other news and notes… 1) Bugonia, a somewhat polarizing film, punched above expectations, landing a best actor nom for Jesse Plemons and a best actress nom for Emma Stone, two of their generation’s true actors’ actors.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Gonzalez chased her down, punched her several times and then dragged her back to the truck, police said.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
Fourteen teams punched their tickets to the tournament.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The man attempted to intercept the hulking crook, who punched the victim in the face, cops said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
In response, Delaware last March passed a law to make the state more alluring, to which Texas quickly counter-punched with an even friendlier law.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
The woman punched the air with her umbrella.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punched
Verb
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Five players were booked during their defeat to Cameroon, including Foster, who slapped the linesman’s hand twice and screamed in his face in frustration over a decision.—
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Its tail slapped the surface of the water, marking la paiche’s territory.—
Verb
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While heavy crude oil is what is predominantly being drilled for today, its viscous consistency and high levels of metals and sulfur mean extracting and refining this product is significantly more costly than its light crude counterpart.—
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Capping two solid seasons for the Huskies, Freeman drilled a 49-yard field goal off the frozen, slick turf in frigid weather, worth noting for NFL teams in the Northeast and Upper Midwest.—
Verb
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Muñoz-Guatemala then drove with the Taser hanging out of the car window, and was arrested about a mile away by local police officers.—
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The suspect drove around the area before surrendering to police in Atwater Village.—
Verb
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The group has smacked around quarterbacks, tackled well and dominated most key areas but hasn’t taken the ball away like an elite defense.—
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We’re getting smacked around by teams by 30, 40 points.—
Verb
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Ade stood over his bride, deeply concerned, when a lively drum roll pierced the air.—
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Consuelos discussed an increase in mosquitos while a buzzing noise pierced the air.—
Verb
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Two Heat starters also ran into foul trouble early on, as Michell and Wiggins were each called for two fouls within the first six minutes of the contest.—
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The 2025-26 NBA season is in full swing, renewing the long-running debate over the league’s greatest player.—
Verb
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White egrets stood in the shallows, a woodpecker knocked somewhere nearby, and pairs of green parrots flew upstream, beating their wings in time.—
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He was eventually knocked free of the vehicle, and suffered significant lacerations that required 33 stitches, the official said.—
Verb
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Manette poked fun at his famous recliner For over 35 years, Curt has settled into the same teal Bradington Young recliner to eat, watch TV and work out football plays.—
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Fox grabbed Vanderbilt to walk him away, but the Lakers forward poked Sochan in the face with his left index finger.—
Cite this Entry
“Punched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punched. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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