penalties

noun

plural of penalty
1
as in fines
a sum of money to be paid as a punishment the penalty for speeding is $10 for every mile over the speed limit

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2
as in punishments
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense in some cases, the new penalties for drug offenses were harsher than those for violent crimes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disadvantages
the negative result caused by something that creates difficulty for achieving success suffered the penalty of his decision to leave school without graduating

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of penalties That means withdrawals will be taxed as ordinary income and could be subject to early withdrawal penalties if used for unqualified expenses. — Medora Lee, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Under the law, moral offenses — including adultery and same-sex relations — can carry penalties of up to 100 lashes. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 Both countries impose severe penalties on LGBTQ people. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2026 Infrastructure failures that result in pollution must trigger legally enforceable penalties such as fines. — Serge Dedina, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 July 2026 Thornton has also increased penalties for repeat offenders illegally using personal fireworks. — Chierstin Roth, CBS News, 2 July 2026 Over the past decade, the IRS has steadily narrowed the avenues through which international taxpayers can resolve past tax noncompliance without facing penalties. — Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Congress last used its right of review under President Joe Biden in 2023, the first time since 1991, over a crime bill that would have reduced penalties for violent crimes. — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2026 The fine is one of three antitrust penalties totaling more than $8 billion that the European Commission slapped on Google between 2017 and 2019, putting the 27-nation bloc at the forefront of the global push to rein in tech giants. — ABC News, 2 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penalties
  1. fines
  2. punishments
  3. disadvantages
  4. expenses
Noun
  • Companies that don’t follow the new rules would be subject to tens of thousands of fines for each violation.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • These fines can wipe out years of profit, cause license suspension that shuts down operations and generate client lawsuits that follow your company for decades.
    — Phil Portman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of fines
Noun
  • Wildfires have also scorched thousands of acres in Arizona, which led Phoenix to ban all fireworks on city property including parks and within 1 mile of nature preserves, with punishments including $2,500 fines.
    — Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • The parliament in England created laws against Quakers, forbidding them to worship freely, charging them with punishments for refusing to take oaths or refusing to remove their hats.
    — Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of punishments
Noun
  • But should Team England certainly will be far from the first team that has to deal with such disadvantages.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Many of them are single mothers due to structural disadvantages.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
Definition of disadvantages
Noun
  • Seeking to close a $12 billion budget shortfall last year, the governor hoped to cut over $750 million from the state’s payroll expenses in salaries and wages.
    — William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
  • Campaign funds may be used to pay for a candidate’s childcare expenses that are incurred as a direct result of campaign activities, according to the Federal Election Commission.
    — Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 30 June 2026
Definition of expenses

Browse Nearby Words

penalizing
penalties
penalty
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Cite this Entry

“Penalties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penalties. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on penalties

Nglish: Translation of penalties for Spanish Speakers

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