Examples of penalize in a Sentence
The company was penalized for not paying taxes.
The hockey player was penalized for holding.
This law would unfairly penalize immigrants.
Recent Examples on the Web
Premature substitution is the specific scenario where a goalie is being pulled for an extra attacker and his replacement jumps on early, and it can be penalized with a whistle and a faceoff instead of a minor.
—
Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
In this instance, Mazzulla may have reduced his risk of being penalized.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
His administration intensified those efforts last month by threatening to penalize European tech firms and seeking to block prominent tech safety researchers and a regulator from entering the United States.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Rehabs providing highly effective treatment aren’t being rewarded, and health insurance companies choosing the cheapest providers or kicking patients out of treatment early aren’t being penalized.
—Joanna Conti, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Penalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penalize. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
penalize
verb
pe·nal·ize
ˈpēn-ᵊl-ˌīz 
ˈpen-
penalized; penalizing
1
: to give a penalty to
2
: to place at a disadvantage
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