to punch
- verb
- /pʌnʧ/
- You have to punch this button.
- punch a hole
- punch a card
- punch the clock
But then Jesus punched a hole through space and time.
- But then Jesus punched a hole through space and time.
- You're going to punch out one for each round of dough.
Examples
-
Employees in various cubicles are talking on telephones and punching information into computers.
Fiction book (1990) -
Yeah, it punched through into a cavern 80 feet down.
-
Oh, you want some to punch a hole right through?
-
And then we're going to punch a little hole in that tube.
-
Punch a hole in the sky.
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Students are required to punch in on their timecards to log the amount of class time.
Academic text (1995) -
The inscription was punched into the plates, in English on one and German on the other.
Academic text (1999) -
To make a beautiful flower arrangement, you need to punch holes in the foam for the stems.
-
Using a hole punch, she carefully punched a clean hole in the corner of the paper.
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Before assembling the model, be sure to punch through the indicated areas for the connectors.
Synonyms
To push a sharp pointed object into a person or animal
Push quickly with a finger, stick, or other small object
To make a hole by using a tool that turns
To make a hole in something with a sharp object like a needle
To go straight across a place, for example through land or a crowd
To make a small hole in something with a sharp object that lets air or liquid escape
To make a deep cut or hole in something with a sharp object
To make a small hole in something with a sharp point
Make a hole through something by piercing it
To make an opening in something by cutting or piercing
To break a hole in an object by hitting or crushing it
To make a deep cut or groove in a surface by scraping
Move into and through something by making a hole or gap
Move a sharp object into something to cut it
To make a hole in something with a tool or with animal teeth
To make a small dent in a surface to mark where to drill
To break a hole in something and make part cave in
Make a small hole in something with a sharp point
Idioms
- Informal
To have more success than people expect from your size or ability
- Informal
To get a sure chance to succeed, for example a job or a place on a team
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
- Jargon
A short hard hit to the back of the neck that is dangerous and illegal in boxing
- Specialized
A small tool with a pointed end that makes a dent to mark where to drill
A sweet party punch made with rum and brandy, mixed with tea or water and served from a bowl
How Big
Surface Forms
Etymology
Punch meaning 'to make a hole' comes from Latin pungere 'to prick', the same root as puncture. So to punch in this sense is to force a point through material to make a hole.