perforate
verb
per·fo·rate
ˈpər-fə-ˌrāt 
perforated; perforating
1
: to make a hole through
especially
: to make a line of holes in to facilitate separation
2
: to pass through or into by or as if by making a hole
: to penetrate a surface
Examples of perforate in a Sentence
Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, and then use a fork to perforate the foil.
he perforated the sheet with his pencil and put it in his binder
Recent Examples on the Web
Millie's bowels then perforated before she was born, causing her stomach to swell.
—
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
The blade perforated Metcalf's right ventricle, and he was pronounced dead after being transported to an area hospital.
—Tristan Maglunog, ABC News, 11 June 2026
The recto portrays, in exactingly realistic detail, a locked and beat-up steel rolldown gate, as only the Lower East Side knows them, perforated with 15 black holes begging to be poked through.
—Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026
The knife perforated the bone at the center of his chest, the sac that surrounds his heart, and penetrated the right ventricle of his heart.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for perforate
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Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
The blade perforated Metcalf's right ventricle, and he was pronounced dead after being transported to an area hospital.
—Tristan Maglunog, ABC News, 11 June 2026
The recto portrays, in exactingly realistic detail, a locked and beat-up steel rolldown gate, as only the Lower East Side knows them, perforated with 15 black holes begging to be poked through.
—Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026
The knife perforated the bone at the center of his chest, the sac that surrounds his heart, and penetrated the right ventricle of his heart.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for perforate
Cite this Entry
“Perforate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perforate. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perforate
verb
per·fo·rate
ˈpər-fə-ˌrāt
perforated; perforating
: to make a hole or series of holes through
especially
: to make a line of holes to make tearing easy and neat
sheets of stamps are perforated
Medical Definition
perforate
verb
per·fo·rate
ˈpər-fə-ˌrāt
perforated; perforating
1
: to make a hole through
an ulcer perforates the duodenal wall
2
: to enter or extend through
the nerve perforates the dura mater
: to penetrate a surface
the wound in the forearm was perforating—The Journal of the American Medical Association
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