punish
verb (used with object)
to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault.
are punishing
-
present progressiveof punish.present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
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.
“You are punishing students for their peers’ performance,” one student surveyed said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Equity markets, it appears, have stopped rewarding companies making job cuts, even if their stated justifications are benign, and are punishing share prices regardless.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 16, 2025
Campaigns are punishing business, especially for long-shot candidates, but Mamdani seemed indefatigable.
From Salon ● May 1, 2025
It’s an incredibly human response to speak up in light of such profound suffering, and it saddens me that we are punishing people calling for a ceasefire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2023
It is all pride, and you are punishing me for what I couldn't help, and punishing yourself too, for no one will ever love you as I do.
From Franklin Kane by Anne Douglas Sedgwick
