as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
an icy, penetrating rain that made you feel really miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in accessing
to go or come in or into
a needle penetrated the heavy canvas only with great effort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of penetrating
Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2023
Nachmanides takes a different approach and offers perhaps the most penetrating psychological insight.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2022
David Grann, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
Dramiga died from blunt force and penetrating trauma to the head.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Adjective
Those pictures are much more penetrating then the pictures of walls with bullet holes.
—Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2023
Nachmanides takes a different approach and offers perhaps the most penetrating psychological insight.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2022
Verb
Whereas Joseph Mitchell’s pristine artistry and Janet Malcolm’s penetrating eye seemed otherworldly, the elements of what made a McKelway story work were legible to me, albeit polished to their highest form.
—David Grann, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
Dramiga died from blunt force and penetrating trauma to the head.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penetrating
Adjective
-
Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The conservative activist’s 42-minute video posted the day after Christmas quickly spread, prompting stepped up immigration enforcement, frozen federal funds and more biting rhetoric against the Somali community from President Donald Trump.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And most seniors have been blocked from accessing the drugs, because Medicare is legally barred from covering weight-loss drugs.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
He was chosen as commissioner in October 1989 over New Orleans general manager Jim Finks after a bitter fight highlighting the differences between the NFL's old guard and newer owners.—
NPR,
NPR,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Arugula Arugula is an aromatic, slightly bitter leafy green.—
Lauren O'Connor,
Health,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
When the sun goes down, three beams of light will illuminate the sky over the town that was, piercing the darkness that this time last year was lit with the unholy glow of a fire raging, with no end in sight.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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In addition to a new piercing placement, North also wore one of her new Christmas presents, a 106-carat diamond skull pendant that was gifted by mom Kardashian, 45.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The numbers mark a sharp reversal from a spike in violence during the worst years of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The blazer of Middleton’s look included sharp shoulders with sinuous lapels and angular pockets at the waist.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While interviewing the mayor, a vehicle was seen entering the property after the gate was opened.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Video surveillance footage showed the two men entering a shower, according to the affidavit.—
Lori Dunn,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penetrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penetrating. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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