puncture

1 of 2

noun

punc·ture ˈpəŋk-chər

Synonyms of puncture next

: an act of puncturing

: a hole, wound, or perforation made by puncturing

: a minute depression

puncture

2 of 2

verb

punctured; puncturing ˈpəŋk-chə-riŋ

ˈpəŋk-shriŋ

transitive verb

: to pierce with or as if with a pointed instrument or object

: to make useless or ineffective as if by a puncture : deflate

intransitive verb

: to become punctured

Example Sentences

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

Noun

Police said the man had suffered at least one puncture wound. —

Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2023 No bite marks, puncture wounds, or tooth scratches are found anywhere on Zuul’s body. —

Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 7 Dec. 2022 Maximus has a few battle scars, too, with two large puncture holes showing evidence of a big fight with another T-Rex. —

Dana Givens, Robb Report, 16 Nov. 2022 The skull also has two large puncture holes, which suggests that Maximus duked it out with another dinosaur, likely also a T. rex. —

Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2022 The skull, which still has most of its bones and teeth in place, has two large puncture holes that may be indicative of a fight, Hatton told the outlet. —

Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2022 Hatton said two large puncture holes in the skull are evidence of a big fight, probably with another T. rex. —

CBS News, 8 Nov. 2022 Hatton said two large puncture holes in the skull are evidence of a fight, probably with another T. rex. —

USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2022 Blood spurted from the puncture wounds, but Roy could still push out enough air to scream, witnesses said, when he was dragged by the tiger to their usual exit, stage left. —

Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2022

Verb

Trump would like to puncture the perception that DeSantis is a winner by tying him to vintage Republican losers. —

W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, 1 Mar. 2023 There, the birds use curved talons the length of human fingers to puncture their prey, which includes ground squirrels, ptarmigan, snowshoe hares and sometimes even caribou and musk ox calves. —

Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Dec. 2021 One: a type six secretion system that uses a syringe-like structure to puncture neighboring cells and inject debilitating toxins. —

Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 22 Aug. 2016 An evergreen tree's needles and sap can be toxic to pets, and sharp tree needles can puncture the intestines and cause vomiting and diarrhea if ingested. —

Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 7 Dec. 2022 Petplan warns that chicken wings have especially fine bones, which can splinter easily and puncture the gastrointestinal tract. —

Amy Jamieson, Peoplemag, 12 Jan. 2023 Immediately remove the wrapping or puncture it with several holes on the bottom so water can drain away. —

Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 11 Dec. 2022 Emerald is revealed to be a doer, a planner, a woman of action and a formidable wit, on hand to puncture her brother’s self-regard and jolt him out of his brooding. —

The New York Times Magazine, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2022 And anyone who dares to puncture the government’s depiction of a perfect Egypt is challenging the state – and risking jail. —

Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'puncture.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.