penetrate

verb

pen·​e·​trate ˈpe-nə-ˌtrāt How to pronounce penetrate (audio)
penetrated; penetrating

transitive verb

1
a
: to pass into or through
this route … penetrates the leading resort and lake areasAmerican Guide Series: Minnesota
Only a dirt road penetrates the rough, wooded terrain.
b
: to enter by overcoming resistance : pierce
This bullet can penetrate armor.
c
: to gain entrance to
an apartment that I now penetrated for the first timeOsbert Lancaster
2
a
: to see into or through
their keen eyes can penetrate the water to a depth of … forty feetL. K. Porritt
b
: to discover the inner contents or meaning of
a scientific secret which will eventually be penetrated by other countriesVera M. Dean
3
: to affect profoundly with feeling
men may still be penetrated with awe by the divine righteousnessR. W. Dale
4
: to diffuse through or into
the cold began to penetrate his bonesE. K. Gann

intransitive verb

1
a
: to pass, extend, pierce, or diffuse into or through something
fishes … which enter tidal rivers and penetrate almost to fresh waterJ. L. B. Smith
b
: to pierce something with the eye or mind
strained his eyes to penetrate beyond the thick cloud of dust
insight that penetrates to the very heart of some … problemW. F. Hambly
2
: to affect deeply the senses or feelings
the suggestion might penetrate deeply enough … to make her a good deal more waryH. A. Overstreet
Choose the Right Synonym for penetrate

enter, penetrate, pierce, probe mean to make way into something.

enter is the most general of these and may imply either going in or forcing a way in.

entered the city in triumph

penetrate carries a strong implication of an impelling force or compelling power that achieves entrance.

the enemy penetrated the fortress

pierce means an entering or cutting through with a sharp pointed instrument.

pierced the boil with a lancet

probe implies penetration to investigate or explore something hidden from sight or knowledge.

probed the depths of the sea

Examples of penetrate in a Sentence

These bullets can penetrate armor. radiation penetrating the Earth's atmosphere The bullet failed to penetrate. The heat penetrated through the wall. The roots of these plants have been known to penetrate to a depth of more than 15 feet. My car's headlights couldn't penetrate the dense fog.
Recent Examples on the Web The first segment remains entirely within the Central Valley, not penetrating even the outer edges of the Bay Area and of Southern California. Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 The goal is to penetrate rock at faster speeds, to greater depths, and at a lower cost than conventional drills do. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Mar. 2024 Often less accurate than bullets, the foam or rubber rounds are designed to spread the force of impact over a larger area, without penetrating the skin. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Related article Gene that protected humans 5,000 years ago may be linked to debilitating modern disease The shower of radiation as cosmic rays interact with the atmosphere can penetrate rock, creating cosmogenic nuclides, or isotopes. Katie Hunt, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 Innovative strategies are needed to penetrate more deeply into vulnerable polities, shaping citizens’ hopes, perceptions, sense of what is possible, and desire to effect change. Suzanne Nossel, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024 But Kolbe, the former CIA directorate of operations official, said the Kremlin would most likely see trying to penetrate U.S. voting systems as a low-risk undertaking. Kevin Collier, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024 To penetrate the market, Lindsay had to be creative. Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 By the end of January they were poised to penetrate the residential areas. Oleksandr Chubko Lynsey Addario, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'penetrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin penetratus, past participle of penetrare, from penitus deep within, far; akin to Latin penus provisions

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of penetrate was circa 1530

Dictionary Entries Near penetrate

Cite this Entry

“Penetrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penetrate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

penetrate

verb
pen·​e·​trate ˈpen-ə-ˌtrāt How to pronounce penetrate (audio)
penetrated; penetrating
1
a
: to pass into or through
b
: to enter by piercing
2
: to come to understand
3
: to move deeply

Medical Definition

penetrate

verb
pen·​e·​trate ˈpen-ə-ˌtrāt How to pronounce penetrate (audio)
penetrated; penetrating

transitive verb

1
: to pass into or through
enzymes that help the sperm penetrate the zona pellucidaAnna Maria Gillis
2
: to insert the penis into the vagina of in copulation

intransitive verb

: to pass, extend, pierce, or diffuse into or through something
penetrating percutaneous nephroscopy or ureteroscopyR. A. Riehle et al.

More from Merriam-Webster on penetrate

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