Is this your crossword clue?
"punish" is also used as a crossword clue. If that's what you saw, the answer is often penalize (8 letters).
Definitions
impose a penalty on; inflict punishment on
Word origin
From Middle English punischen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French puniss-, stem of some of the conjugated forms of punir, from Latin puniō (“to inflict punishment upon”), from poena (“punishment, penalty”); see pain. Displaced Old English wītnian and (mostly, in this sense) wrecan.
Used in a sentence
“If a prince violates the law, then he must be punished like an ordinary person.”
“The law needs to punish this behaviour as a deterrent to others.”
“His mother had punished him when he'd deserved it. She'd loved him, he was “all she had,” but she'd punished him, too.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer1 curated clues
01“Impose a penalty”6 letters
Not quite right?
"Search similar patterns."
P_____