punc·ture
ˈpəŋk-chər 
1
: an act of puncturing
2
: a hole, wound, or perforation made by puncturing
3
: a minute depression
punctured; puncturing
ˈpəŋk-chə-riŋ
ˈpəŋk-shriŋ
1
: to pierce with or as if with a pointed instrument or object
2
: to make useless or ineffective as if by a puncture : deflate
: to become punctured
Synonyms
Examples of puncture in a Sentence
Noun
a slight puncture of the skin
a leak caused by several small punctures in the rubber gasket
Verb
a nail punctured the tire
I could never puncture my own skin with a hypodermic needle.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
The boy suffered several puncture wounds to his leg but is expected to be okay
An 8-year-old boy survived a shark attack near North Carolina’s Bald Head Island on Sunday, leaving him with leg wounds, PEOPLE confirms.
—Char Adams, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
The caulk gun comes with features such as an extra-long puncture rod and hook for storage.
—Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Mar. 2024
The figure has a small puncture in its neck, but experts have not determined its purpose yet, museum officials said on Facebook.
—Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2024
The result is a puncture proof inflated tire that does not need the addition of any liquid sealant.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 Oct. 2023
The puncture is too deep to be attributed to tooth marks of another carnivorous animal and also lacks the telltale pits and perforations from such teeth.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 18 Oct. 2023
Galante is being treated for puncture wounds and lacerations to her head, neck, face, and arm, as well as broken bones in her face, per her surgeon, Dr. Jennifer Chen, reports CBS News.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024
The tubeless tire design adds puncture resistance, while the frame is made from sturdy aviation aluminum alloy and ultralight carbon fiber.
—Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2024
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Little darts of flute and clarinet puncture the pulse of a modulated oscillator, with cello and violin casting long sentimental shadows.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
The administrative complaint says Sampson punctured patient E.R.’s liver and intestines and injected the fat removed from the abdomen into her gluteal muscles (prohibited in Florida since 2019).
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
Getting to these materials is complex and dangerous: After removing the steel casing, the battery pack needs to be unbundled into cells carefully, to avoid puncturing any hazardous materials.
—Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024
Stewart punctured many holes in polished media narratives, took many politicians to task.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024
Both arms flutter in exultation as the angelic sound majestically rises, puncturing the heavens deeply until perfect silence lands at his hardened feet.
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024
The location of the seep is not far from the site of a large spill in 2021 that occurred when a ship’s anchor punctured an underwater oil pipeline in San Pedro Bay, sending 25,000 gallons of crude gushing into the waters off Huntington Beach.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
While most of the rounds put unsightly dents in the side of the car, one of them punctured a rear door, leaving an actual bullet hole.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Medina allegedly used a wooden baseball bat and a flathead screwdriver to cause injuries including broken ribs, deep puncture wounds and extensive bruising.
—Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
The boy suffered several puncture wounds to his leg but is expected to be okay
An 8-year-old boy survived a shark attack near North Carolina’s Bald Head Island on Sunday, leaving him with leg wounds, PEOPLE confirms.
—Char Adams, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
The caulk gun comes with features such as an extra-long puncture rod and hook for storage.
—Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Mar. 2024
The figure has a small puncture in its neck, but experts have not determined its purpose yet, museum officials said on Facebook.
—Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2024
The result is a puncture proof inflated tire that does not need the addition of any liquid sealant.
—IEEE Spectrum, 20 Oct. 2023
The puncture is too deep to be attributed to tooth marks of another carnivorous animal and also lacks the telltale pits and perforations from such teeth.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 18 Oct. 2023
Galante is being treated for puncture wounds and lacerations to her head, neck, face, and arm, as well as broken bones in her face, per her surgeon, Dr. Jennifer Chen, reports CBS News.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024
The tubeless tire design adds puncture resistance, while the frame is made from sturdy aviation aluminum alloy and ultralight carbon fiber.
—Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2024
Verb
If the viewers are torn, scratched or punctured, discard them.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Little darts of flute and clarinet puncture the pulse of a modulated oscillator, with cello and violin casting long sentimental shadows.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
The administrative complaint says Sampson punctured patient E.R.’s liver and intestines and injected the fat removed from the abdomen into her gluteal muscles (prohibited in Florida since 2019).
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
Getting to these materials is complex and dangerous: After removing the steel casing, the battery pack needs to be unbundled into cells carefully, to avoid puncturing any hazardous materials.
—Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024
Stewart punctured many holes in polished media narratives, took many politicians to task.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024
Both arms flutter in exultation as the angelic sound majestically rises, puncturing the heavens deeply until perfect silence lands at his hardened feet.
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024
The location of the seep is not far from the site of a large spill in 2021 that occurred when a ship’s anchor punctured an underwater oil pipeline in San Pedro Bay, sending 25,000 gallons of crude gushing into the waters off Huntington Beach.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
While most of the rounds put unsightly dents in the side of the car, one of them punctured a rear door, leaving an actual bullet hole.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'puncture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near puncture
Cite this Entry
“Puncture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puncture. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
puncture
1 of 2 noun
punc·ture
ˈpəŋ(k)-chər
1
: the act of puncturing
2
: a hole or wound made by puncturing
a slight puncture of the skin
a tire puncture
puncture
2 of 2 verb
punctured; puncturing
ˈpəŋ(k)-chə-riŋ
ˈpəŋ(k)-shriŋ
1
: to make a hole with a point
a nail punctured the tire
2
: to suffer a puncture of
punctured the tire on a nail
3
: to become punctured
worn tires puncture easily
4
: to make useless or ridiculous as if by a puncture
puncture an argument
Medical Definition
puncture
1 of 2 noun
punc·ture
ˈpəŋ(k)-chər
1
: an act of puncturing
2
: a hole, wound, or perforation made by puncturing
puncture
2 of 2 verb
punctured; puncturing
ˈpəŋ(k)-chə-riŋ, ˈpəŋ(k)-shriŋ
: to pierce with or as if with a pointed instrument or object
puncture the skin with a needle
: to become punctured
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