What are the opposite words for punish?
The word "punish" implies taking some action against someone for their wrongdoings. While this can be an effective tool for disciplining individuals, it's essential to have antonyms to punish that focus on positive reinforcement rather than negative reinforcement. Some antonyms for the word punish include reward, praise, commend, honor, and award. These words reflect the opposite of punish by promoting good behavior and recognizing positive contributions. While punishment may teach what not to do, rewards, and praise teach what to do, encouraging better behavior. It's essential to balance punishment with reinforcing positive behavior to promote a healthy, productive, and positive environment.
- acquit
-
forgive
- allow for,
- exculpate,
- laugh off,
- let it go,
- pardon,
- Respited,
- Respiting,
- think no more of,
- let bygones be bygones,
- accept apology,
- accepted apology,
- accepting apology,
- accepts apology,
- allowed for,
- allowing for,
- allows for,
- bare no malice,
- bear no malice,
- beared no malice,
- bearing no malice,
- bears no malice,
- bore no malice,
- buried hatchet,
- buried the hatchet,
- buries hatchet,
- buries the hatchet,
- bury hatchet,
- burying hatchet,
- burying the hatchet,
- dismiss from mind,
- dismissed from mind,
- dismisses from mind,
- dismissing from mind,
- kiss and make up,
- kiss make up,
- kissed and make up,
- kissed make up,
- kisses and make up,
- kisses make up,
- kissing and make up,
- kissing make up,
- laughed off,
- laughing off,
- laughs off,
- let pass,
- lets bygones be bygones,
- lets it go,
- lets pass,
- letted bygones be bygones,
- letted it go,
- letted pass,
- letting bygones be bygones,
- letting it go,
- letting pass,
- made allowance,
- make allowance,
- makes allowance,
- making allowance,
- re spite,
- re spited,
- re spites,
- re spiting,
- re-spite,
- re-spited,
- re-spites,
- re-spiting,
- thinking no more of,
- thinks no more of,
- thought no more of,
- turn other cheek,
- turned other cheek,
- turning other cheek,
- turns other cheek,
- wipe slate clean,
- forgive.
-
vindicate
- dis prove,
- dis proved,
- dis proves,
- dis proving,
- dis-prove,
- dis-proved,
- dis-proves,
- dis-proving,
- free from blame,
- freed from blame,
- freeing from blame,
- frees from blame,
- plead for,
- pleaded for,
- pleading for,
- pleads for,
- pled for,
- re habilitate,
- re habilitated,
- re habilitates,
- re-habilitate,
- re-habilitated,
- re-habilitating.
-
plead
- make for,
- plea bargaining,
- put forward,
- make up for,
- answer charges,
- answered charges,
- answering charges,
- answers charges,
- be sought,
- be-sought,
- de clare,
- de clares,
- de-clare,
- de-clares,
- entreatied,
- entreatying,
- gave evidence,
- give evidence,
- gives evidence,
- giving evidence,
- made up for,
- makes for,
- makes up for,
- making for,
- plea bargain,
- plea bargained,
- plea bargains,
- pre sent,
- pre-sent,
- pre-sents,
- puts forward,
- putting forward,
- use as excuse,
- used as excuse,
- uses as excuse,
- using as excuse.
- reward
-
defend
- cover for,
- stand by,
- stand up for,
- stick up for,
- apologize for,
- standing by,
- apologized for,
- apologizes for,
- apologizing for,
- bare one out,
- be friend,
- be friended,
- be friending,
- be friends,
- be-friend,
- be-friended,
- be-friending,
- be-friends,
- bear one out,
- beared one out,
- bearing one out,
- bears one out,
- bore one out,
- came defense of,
- came to defense of,
- come defense of,
- come to defense of,
- comes defense of,
- comes to defense of,
- coming defense of,
- coming to defense of,
- covered for,
- covering for,
- covers for,
- de fend,
- de fended,
- de fending,
- de fends,
- de-fend,
- de-fended,
- de-fending,
- de-fends,
- ex plain,
- ex plained,
- ex plaining,
- ex plains,
- ex-plain,
- ex-plained,
- ex-plaining,
- ex-plains,
- go bat for,
- prove case,
- proved a case,
- proves a case,
- proves case,
- proving a case,
- proving case,
- put good word,
- put in a good word,
- put in good word,
- puts a good word,
- puts good word,
- puts in good word,
- putting a good word,
- putting good word,
- putting in good word,
- re commend,
- re commended,
- re commending,
- re commends,
- re-commend,
- re-commended,
- re-commending,
- re-commends,
- rid shotgun for,
- ride shotgun for,
- rides shotgun for,
- riding shotgun for,
- rode shotgun for,
- said defense,
- said in defense,
- say defense,
- saying in defense,
- says in defense,
- spake for,
- spake up for,
- speaking for,
- speaking up for,
- speaks for,
- speaks up for,
- spoke for,
- spoke up for,
- standing up for,
- stands by,
- stick for,
- sticked for,
- sticked up for,
- sticking up for,
- sticks for,
- sticks up for,
- stood by,
- stood up for,
- stuck up for,
- thump for,
- thumped for,
- thumping for,
- thumps for,
- up held,
- up hold,
- up holding,
- up holds,
- up-held,
- up-hold,
- up-holding,
- up-holds.
- free
-
pity
- feel for,
- take pity on,
- took pity on,
- feels for,
- takes pity on,
- feeling for,
- taking pity on,
- be sympathetic,
- am sorry for,
- am sympathetic,
- are sorry for,
- are sympathetic,
- art sorry for,
- art sympathetic,
- be sorry for,
- being sorry for,
- being sympathetic,
- bled for,
- bleed for,
- bleeding for,
- bleeds for,
- feel with,
- feeling with,
- feels with,
- felt with,
- give quarter,
- gives quarter,
- giving quarter,
- grieved with,
- grieves with,
- had compassion,
- had mercy on,
- haddest compassion,
- haddest mercy on,
- hadst compassion,
- hadst mercy on,
- has compassion,
- has mercy on,
- hast compassion,
- hath compassion,
- hath mercy on,
- have compassion,
- have mercy on,
- having compassion,
- having mercy on,
- is sorry for,
- is sympathetic,
- lament with,
- lamented with,
- lamenting with,
- laments with,
- put out misery,
- put out of misery,
- put out of one misery,
- put out of one's misery,
- put out of ones misery,
- put out one misery,
- put out one's misery,
- put out ones misery,
- puts out misery,
- puts out of misery,
- puts out of one misery,
- puts out of one's misery,
- puts out one misery,
- puts out one's misery,
- putting out misery,
- putting out of misery,
- putting out of one misery,
- putting out of one's misery,
- putting out one's misery,
- show forgiveness,
- show sympathy,
- showed forgiveness,
- showed sympathy,
- showing forgiveness,
- showing sympathy,
- shows forgiveness,
- shows sympathy,
- under stand,
- under standing,
- under stands,
- under stood,
- under-standing,
- under-stands,
- under-stood,
- was sorry for,
- wast sympathetic,
- weeping for,
- wept for,
- were sorry for,
- were sympathetic,
- wert sorry for,
- wert sympathetic.
-
excuse
- alibiing,
- make allowances for,
- alibied,
- dispense from,
- dispensed from,
- dispenses from,
- dispensing from,
- exempted from,
- exempts from,
- gave absolution,
- give absolution,
- giving absolution,
- grant amnesty,
- granting amnesty,
- made allowances for,
- makes allowances for,
- making allowances for,
- over look,
- over looked,
- over looks,
- over-look,
- over-looking,
- over-looks,
- plead ignorance,
- pleaded ignorance,
- pleading ignorance,
- pleads ignorance,
- pre text,
- pre texts,
- pre-text,
- pre-texts,
- pretexting,
- takes rap for,
- taking rap for,
- took rap for.
- exonerate
-
expiate
- atone for,
- do penance,
- atoned for,
- atones for,
- atoning for,
- did penance,
- didst penance,
- does penance,
- doest penance,
- doing penance,
- dost penance,
- doth penance,
- paid dues,
- paid one dues,
- paid one's dues,
- paid ones dues,
- pay dues,
- pay one dues,
- pay one's dues,
- pay ones dues,
- payed dues,
- payed one dues,
- payed one's dues,
- paying dues,
- paying one dues,
- paying one's dues,
- paying ones dues,
- pays one dues,
- pays one's dues,
- pays ones dues,
- re deem,
- re deemed,
- re deeming,
- re dress,
- re dresses,
- re dressing,
- re-deem,
- re-deeming,
- re-deems,
- re-dress,
- re-dressed,
- re-dresses,
- re-dressing,
- square things,
- squares things,
- squaring things.
- let off
-
manumit
- let loose,
- let out,
- unchain,
- unchained,
- unfixed,
- Bailed,
- Bailing,
- Disenthrall,
- Uncage,
- Unfetter,
- Unfix,
- unfixes,
- letting loose,
- unfettering,
- unchains,
- unfetters,
- disenthralled,
- disenthralling,
- disenthralls,
- uncaged,
- turn loose,
- disimprison,
- de mobilize,
- de mobilized,
- de mobilizes,
- de mobilizing,
- de-mobilize,
- de-mobilized,
- de-mobilizes,
- de-mobilizing,
- dis engage,
- dis engaged,
- dis engages,
- dis engaging,
- dis enthrall,
- dis enthralled,
- dis enthralling,
- dis enthralls,
- dis imprison,
- dis imprisoned,
- dis imprisoning,
- dis imprisons,
- dis-engage,
- dis-engaged,
- dis-engages,
- dis-engaging,
- dis-enthrall,
- dis-enthralled,
- dis-enthralling,
- dis-enthralls,
- dis-imprison,
- dis-imprisoned,
- dis-imprisoning,
- dis-imprisons,
- disimprisoned,
- disimprisoning,
- disimprisons,
- lets out,
- letted out,
- letting out,
- put on the street,
- put street,
- put the street,
- puts on the street,
- puts street,
- puts the street,
- putting on street,
- putting on the street,
- putting street,
- putting the street,
- turned loose,
- turns loose,
- un bind,
- un binds,
- un bound,
- un cage,
- un caged,
- un cages,
- un caging,
- un chain,
- un chained,
- un chaining,
- un did,
- un does,
- un doing,
- un done,
- un fetter,
- un fettered,
- un fettering,
- un fetters,
- un fix,
- un fixed,
- un fixes,
- un fixing,
- un fixt,
- un leash,
- un leashed,
- un leashes,
- un tied,
- un tying,
- un-bind,
- un-binds,
- un-bound,
- un-cage,
- un-caged,
- un-cages,
- un-caging,
- un-chain,
- un-chaining,
- un-chains,
- un-did,
- un-does,
- un-doing,
- un-fetter,
- un-fettered,
- un-fettering,
- un-fetters,
- un-fix,
- un-fixed,
- un-fixes,
- un-fixing,
- un-fixt,
- un-leashed,
- un-leashes,
- un-leashing,
- un-tied,
- un-tying,
- uncaging.
- pardon
-
reprieve
- grant a stay,
- granted a stay,
- granted stay,
- granting a stay,
- grants a stay,
- grants stay,
- let off this time,
- let off time,
- let this time,
- let time,
- lets off time,
- lets this time,
- letted off this time,
- letted off time,
- letted this time,
- letted time,
- letting off this time,
- letting off time,
- letting this time,
- letting time,
- post pone,
- post pones,
- post-pones.
-
absolve
- lifeboat,
- release,
- releasing,
- set free,
- whitewashed,
- wink at,
- lifeboats,
- setting free,
- sets free,
- blink at,
- winked at,
- blinked at,
- blinking at,
- blinks at,
- dis charge,
- dis charged,
- dis charges,
- dis charging,
- dis-charge,
- dis-charged,
- dis-charges,
- dis-charging,
- go easy on,
- goes easy on,
- going easy on,
- let easy,
- let hook,
- let off easy,
- let off the hook,
- let the hook,
- let up on,
- let upon,
- lets easy,
- lets hook,
- lets off easy,
- lets off hook,
- lets off the hook,
- lets the hook,
- lets up on,
- lets upon,
- letted easy,
- letted hook,
- letted off easy,
- letted off hook,
- letted off the hook,
- letted the hook,
- letted up on,
- letted upon,
- letting easy,
- letting hook,
- letting off easy,
- letting off hook,
- letting off the hook,
- letting the hook,
- letting up on,
- letting upon,
- lifeboated,
- lifeboating,
- re lease,
- re leases,
- re leasing,
- re lieve,
- re-lease,
- re-leased,
- re-leases,
- re-leasing,
- re-lieve,
- went easy on,
- winking at,
- winks at,
- wipe it off,
- wipe the slate clean,
- wiped it off,
- wiped off,
- wiped slate clean,
- wiped the slate clean,
- wipes it off,
- wipes off,
- wipes slate clean,
- wipes the slate clean,
- wiping it off,
- wiping off,
- wiping slate clean,
- wiping the slate clean.
- confess
-
crown
- coronate,
- crested,
- enthrone,
- Coronated,
- Cresting,
- enthrones,
- enthroning,
- enthroned,
- coronates,
- coronating,
- de legate,
- de legates,
- de-legate,
- de-legates,
- end owed,
- end owing,
- end-owed,
- end-owing,
- in duct,
- in ducted,
- in ducting,
- in ducts,
- in stalled,
- in stalling,
- in vest,
- in vested,
- in vests,
- in-duct,
- in-ducted,
- in-ducting,
- in-ducts,
- in-stall,
- in-stalled,
- in-stalling,
- in-vest,
- in-vested,
- in-vesting,
- in-vests,
- put finishing touch on,
- puts finishing touch on,
- putting finishing touch on,
- sur mount,
- sur mounted,
- sur mounting,
- sur mounts,
- sur-mount,
- sur-mounted,
- sur-mounting,
- sur-mounts,
- topped off,
- topping off,
- tops off.
- exculpate
-
justify
- make good,
- do justice to,
- am answerable for,
- are answerable for,
- argue for,
- argued for,
- argues for,
- art answerable for,
- be answerable for,
- being answerable for,
- cop plea,
- did justice to,
- didst justice to,
- does justice to,
- doest justice to,
- doeth justice to,
- doing justice to,
- doth justice to,
- is answerable for,
- made allowances,
- make allowances,
- makes allowances,
- makes good,
- making allowances,
- making good,
- re butted,
- re butting,
- re-butted,
- re-butting,
- show cause,
- showing cause,
- shows cause,
- spake favor,
- spake in favor,
- speak favor,
- speak in favor,
- speaking favor,
- speaking in favor,
- speaks favor,
- speaks in favor,
- spoke favor,
- spoke in favor,
- was answerable for,
- wast answerable for,
- were answerable for,
- wert answerable for.
-
purge
- rout out,
- Depurate,
- Depurated,
- Depurating,
- shake out,
- depurates,
- dis abuse,
- dis abused,
- dis abuses,
- dis abusing,
- dis-abuse,
- dis-abused,
- dis-abuses,
- dis-abusing,
- ex crete,
- ex cretes,
- ex terminate,
- ex terminated,
- ex terminates,
- ex terminating,
- ex-crete,
- ex-cretes,
- ex-terminate,
- ex-terminated,
- ex-terminates,
- ex-terminating,
- pre vent,
- pre venting,
- pre vents,
- pre-vent,
- pre-vented,
- pre-venting,
- pre-vents,
- routed out,
- routs out,
- shakes out,
- shaking out,
- shook out,
- sweeping out,
- sweeps out,
- swept out,
- un load,
- un loaded,
- un loading,
- un loads,
- un-load,
- un-loads,
- wipe off map,
- wiped map,
- wiped off map,
- wipes map,
- wipes off map,
- wiping map,
- wiping off map.
-
remit
- ease up,
- intermit,
- prorogue,
- Intermitted,
- Intermitting,
- Prorogued,
- Proroguing,
- prorogues,
- intermits,
- de crease,
- de creased,
- de creases,
- de creasing,
- de lay,
- de laying,
- de lays,
- de-crease,
- de-creased,
- de-creases,
- de-creasing,
- de-lay,
- de-laying,
- de-lays,
- eased up,
- eases up,
- easing up,
- falls away,
- fell away,
- pro rogue,
- pro rogues,
- pro roguing,
- pro-rogued,
- pro-rogues,
- pro-roguing,
- re duce,
- re duces,
- re lax,
- re peal,
- re pealed,
- re pealing,
- re peals,
- re-duce,
- re-duces,
- re-lax,
- re-pealed,
- re-peals.
- free from responsibility, duty
-
right
- clean up,
- do justice,
- sort out,
- straighten out,
- turn around,
- shape up,
- set straight,
- compensate for,
- cleaned up,
- cleaning up,
- cleans up,
- compensated for,
- compensates for,
- compensating for,
- de bug,
- de bugged,
- de bugging,
- de bugs,
- de-bug,
- de-bugged,
- de-bugging,
- de-bugs,
- dial back,
- dialed back,
- dialing back,
- dialled back,
- dialling back,
- dials back,
- did justice,
- didst justice,
- does justice,
- doest justice,
- doeth justice,
- doing justice,
- dost justice,
- doth justice,
- fiddled with,
- fiddles with,
- over haul,
- over hauled,
- over hauling,
- over hauls,
- over-haul,
- over-hauled,
- over-hauling,
- over-hauls,
- put place,
- puts in place,
- puts place,
- puts right,
- putting in place,
- putting place,
- putting right,
- re calibrate,
- re calibrated,
- re calibrates,
- re condition,
- re conditioned,
- re conditioning,
- re conditions,
- re construct,
- re constructed,
- re constructs,
- re pair,
- re paired,
- re pairing,
- re pairs,
- re store,
- re stored,
- re stores,
- re storing,
- re-calibrate,
- re-calibrates,
- re-condition,
- re-conditioned,
- re-conditioning,
- re-conditions,
- re-constructing,
- re-constructs,
- re-pair,
- re-paired,
- re-pairing,
- re-pairs,
- re-stored,
- re-stores,
- re-storing,
- recalibrate,
- recalibrated,
- recalibrating,
- set upright,
- sets straight,
- sets upright,
- setting straight,
- shapes up,
- shaping up,
- sorted out,
- sorting out,
- sorts out,
- straightened out,
- straightens out,
- turned around,
- turning around,
- turns around.
- announce removal of blame
- reward, dignify
- show support for
- forgive, absolve; justify
- excuse, clear of responsibility or blame
- make amends for
- stop blame and grant pardon
- legitimize, substantiate
- make not subject to punishment or action
-
feel sorry for; spare
- pity.
- beg, request
- penalize for wrongdoing
- rid of; clean out
- stop, postpone
- relieve of blame, responsibility
- pay; give prize
- fix, correct
- prove one's innocence
- Other relevant words
- Other antonyms
Antonym of the day
out-
- Antonyms:
- in-, end-.
