impale
verb
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Definition of impale
1 : to join (coats of arms) on a heraldic shield divided vertically by a pale
2a : to pierce with or as if with something pointed especially : to torture or kill by fixing on a sharp stake
b : to fix in an inescapable or helpless position
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Other Words from impale
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noun
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noun
Synonyms for impale
Synonyms
gore, harpoon, jab, lance, peck, pick, pierce, pink, puncture, run through, skewer, spear, spike, spit, stab, stick, transfix
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Examples of impale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rescue workers who raced to the scene could hear people moaning and crying, pinned beneath concrete slabs, impaled with steel girders, suffocating from dust. — Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, "The Rise of the Victims’-Rights Movement," 14 May 2018 The Lycra-Legged Screamer swerved, clipped a nun on a Unicycle and was impaled on a selfie stick. — Joyce Wadler, New York Times, "E.T. Doesn’t Like the Bike Path Either," 18 June 2018 Lawyers Matthew Rabin and Shaun Serelson represent a driver and passenger injured when a metal rod impaled their car within the I-4 work zone. — Kevin Spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, "I-4 construction nightmares: Drivers seeking payment for car damage face daunting odds," 13 July 2018 Some of them have tennis balls impaled on the curved metal runners at the front, called kufens. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: USA Luge's search for next great Winter Olympian visits Indianapolis," 28 June 2018 But the thrill in this bull run is not being trampled by a stampede or impaled by horns. — Lorraine Ali, latimes.com, "Review: 'Brimstone & Glory' looks at a small town in Mexico where fireworks are made," 1 July 2018 Twenty years ago, Stephanie Murray was impaled by a steel bar on I-95. — Marci Shatzman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "You won't believe the things that smack into drivers' cars," 8 June 2018 From there, Ellie slinks through a dark, dystopian forest full of dead bodies hanging from trees or impaled on whatever’s handy. — Megan Farokhmanesh, The Verge, "Sony’s E3 press conference was a hyper-detailed gross-out fest," 12 June 2018 Prometheus, impaled forever on a rock for tipping humanity off about fire and freedom, has stood since antiquity for the unstoppable triumph of reason over religious or cultural orthodoxy and raw power. — Max Maller, Chicago Reader, "Prometheus Bound remains inert," 10 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'impale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for impale
impale
verb
English Language Learners Definition of impale
: to cause a pointed object to go into or through (someone or something)
See the full definition for impale in the English Language Learners Dictionary
impale
verb
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Kids Definition of impale
: to pierce with something pointed
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