How to Use punishment in a Sentence

punishment

noun
Definition of punishmentnext
Synonyms for punishmentnext
  • I took away my daughter's car keys as a punishment for her bad behavior.
  • The punishments that the government has inflicted on the protesters are severe and unjust.
  • Some religions teach that wicked people will suffer eternal punishment in hell after they die.
  • The punishment for murder is life imprisonment.
  • The punishment paved the way for the team to change ownership and Ballmer’s purchase in the spring of 2014.
    — Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2024
  • The punishment amounts to a slap on the wrist for this year’s draft from April 25-27 in Detroit.
    — Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024
  • It is not known how long the men will be held or the extent of their punishment.
    — Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
  • West's punishment would range between five to 99 years to life in prison.
    — Danielle Bacher, Peoplemag, 28 Aug. 2023
  • Puma, though, was hoping to serve his punishment at home and avoid a fine.
    — Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2023
  • But the punishment was far above the six and a half years requested by his defense lawyers.
    — J. Edward Moreno, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
  • The charge is a third-degree felony in Texas, with a possible punishment of two to 10 years in prison.
    — Mark Heim | [email protected], al, 12 Dec. 2022
  • In 1989, as the boys faced charges in the attack, an outraged city thirsted for their punishment.
    — Suzette Hackney, USA TODAY, 6 July 2023
  • The archbishop will bless the sword and hand it to the monarch with the injunction that it should be used for the protection of good and the punishment of evil.
    — Patrick Smith, NBC News, 4 May 2023
  • The juror chose the option of attending the first day of the trial as punishment.
    — oregonlive, 28 Jan. 2023
  • The archbishop blessed the sword and handed it to Charles with the injunction that it should be used for the protection of good and the punishment of evil.
    — Leila Sackur, NBC News, 6 May 2023
  • In the Book of Jonah, the Israelite prophet spends three days in the belly of a whale as divine punishment, before being spit back on the shore.
    — Nathan Burstein, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2023
  • If anorexia and bulimia are about punishment, dessert − the spirit of dessert, not just the item on the plate − is the opposite.
    — Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024
  • Under Arkansas law, rape is a Class Y felony, with the punishment ranging from 10 to 40 years to life in prison.
    — Ron Wood, arkansasonline.com, 4 Sep. 2024
  • The fast isn't meant as punishment or to torture those observing it.
    — Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 22 Mar. 2023
  • The move was widely seen as a punishment for the company opposing the law.
    — Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2023
  • Although Strauss won’t face any sanction by the university, his lawyer said that the length of the probe has been its own form of punishment.
    — Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2024
  • As punishment, coaches forced wrestlers to run up and down a steep hill seven times, the lawsuit alleged.
    — Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2023
  • Still, for over a year, Rokita has pursued punishment for Bernard.
    — María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023
  • The RZRs hustled along, absorbing even more punishment than the day before with equal aplomb.
    — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 15 Nov. 2023
  • But this is all merely a prelude to a more earthbound tale of guilt and innocence, crime and punishment.
    — Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2023
  • Those who believe that punishment is of value even if nothing good will come of it simply want to see the guilty suffer.
    — Kieran Setiya, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2023
  • Had Damari shot someone, the state attorney might have transferred him to adult court, where punishment is much worse.
    — Sammy Caiola, NPR, 4 June 2024
  • As punishment, Mason hasn't been allowed to eat any of it and doesn't get phone privileges.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2023
  • Isaac views his current predicament as punishment for letting down everyone in his life, before and after his death.
    — Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 17 Oct. 2024
  • Attorneys for Milton Andersen, the 90-year-old brother of Kitty Menendez, filed a legal brief asking the court to keep the brothers’ original punishment.
    — Jaimie Ding, Chicago Tribune, 24 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punishment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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