punish

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

China jolted the world with its willingness to use its extensive control of the rare-earth supply chain to extract concessions from the U.S. and punish countries such as Japan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

Brian Panish, the Iskander family’s attorney, told jurors in Van Nuys that they needed to award punitive damages to not only punish Grossman and Erickson, but also send a message about their conduct.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

At a news conference on Saturday, they pledged to conduct a "rigorous" investigation and "severely punish" those found responsible.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

China's government launched an "uncompromising" investigation into the explosion, vowing to severely punish those responsible, and ordered a nationwide crackdown on illegal mining activities, Xinhua said Saturday evening.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

I considered her words and wondered why someone would willingly punish herself for all eternity.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall