as in punishes
to inflict a penalty on for a fault or crime
the player was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct
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Recent Examples of penalizes
The Big 12 Conference is now enforcing a new rule enacted in the offseason that penalizes teams for objects being thrown on the field, and Texas Tech has been forced to institute the ban.
—
Jordy Fee-Platt, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The current system incentivizes scofflaws and penalizes people who obey the law.
—Wes Burdine, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
Each week, the NFL penalizes players for conduct in the previous week's games.
—Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Thanks to the new ‘Hi-Five’ rule, which penalizes defenders for swiping at hands following through, and re-emphasizes contact to shooters’ legs, Curry shot nine free throws in the first half, all makes, and ended up with 13 attempts from the foul line overall.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Uber also penalizes its drivers who cancel trips and can deactivate their accounts if cancellation frequency reaches a predetermined threshold, the complaint states.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Sep. 2025
Jordy Fee-Platt, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The current system incentivizes scofflaws and penalizes people who obey the law.
—Wes Burdine, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
Each week, the NFL penalizes players for conduct in the previous week's games.
—Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Thanks to the new ‘Hi-Five’ rule, which penalizes defenders for swiping at hands following through, and re-emphasizes contact to shooters’ legs, Curry shot nine free throws in the first half, all makes, and ended up with 13 attempts from the foul line overall.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Uber also penalizes its drivers who cancel trips and can deactivate their accounts if cancellation frequency reaches a predetermined threshold, the complaint states.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalizes
punishes
Verb
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Zeus ultimately punishes Prometheus by chaining him to a rock and sending an eagle to eat his liver every day.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement This environment rewards suspicion and punishes good-faith efforts to find common ground.—
Lizzi C. Lee,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penalizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalizes. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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