Dishing out punishments (7)
I believe the answer is:
hidings
'punishments' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both acts as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?
'dishing out' is the wordplay.
'out' is an anagram indicator (out can mean wrong or inaccurate).
'dishing' anagrammed gives 'HIDINGS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for hidings that I've seen before include "Beatings" , "concealed?" .)