penetrating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpe-nə-ˌtrā-tiŋ How to pronounce penetrating (audio)
Definition of penetratingnext
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin an icy, penetrating rain that made you feel really miserable

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

penetrating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of penetrate
as in accessing
to go or come in or into a needle penetrated the heavy canvas only with great effort

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of 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
Investigators used human-remains detection dogs, ground-penetrating radar, aerial searches during the three-decade investigation, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office said, according to the outlets. — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026 Give it 24 to 48 hours, then apply a penetrating grout sealer. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penetrating
  1. biting
  2. accessing
  3. bitter
  4. piercing
  5. sharp
  6. entering
Adjective
  • Her version is louder and more biting, but never at the sacrifice of the track’s spirit.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In 2022, Lee County’s Mosquito Control District decided to try aiming radiation at mosquitoes instead, specifically the biting, disease-carrying kind — Aedes aegypti.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of biting
Verb
  • Accessibility The higgledy-piggledy nature of the building, with any number of steps going in multiple different directions, does not initially scream accessibility, but there are three accessible rooms and lifts accessing every level.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Difficulties in accessing court documents also leave the public largely in the dark about the reasons for pursuing denaturalization actions against these individuals, the report added.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of accessing
Adjective
  • When Hanne, a staff member of a struggling animal rescue, unexpectedly becomes executor of a wealthy hunting family’s estate, a bitter battle over the inheritance erupts.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This bitter rivalry, which dates back to the 1960s, will see its second 2026 installment at Arrowhead Stadium in January.
    — Pete Sweeney October 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of bitter
Verb
  • The most impressive is the national park’s namesake, El Teide, a cloud-piercing volcano at around 12,200 feet high—Spain’s tallest peak.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Henry is tall and slender with a piercing gaze and blue-gray eyes.
    — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of piercing
Adjective
  • Under Quotidien’s famously flattering lights, Bieber’s signature beauty vocabulary came into particularly sharp focus.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Skubal’s command wasn’t at its sharpest in the first inning, with his changeup consistently missing high.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of sharp
Verb
  • The tomb’s entrance passage, with narrowing walls and descending axis, creates a liminal stage to orient the body before entering the burial chamber.
    — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The museum has cited safety concerns as one reason visitors will have to pass security controls before entering the plaza, and an adjacent park has no such barriers.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of entering

Browse Nearby Words

penetrates
penetrating
penetration
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Cite this Entry

“Penetrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penetrating. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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