puncture

noun

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punc·ture | \ ˈpəŋk-chər

Definition of puncture

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an act of puncturing

2 : a hole, wound, or perforation made by puncturing

3 : a minute depression

puncture

verb

punctured; puncturing\ ˈpəŋk-chə-riŋ

, ˈpəŋk-shriŋ \

Definition of puncture (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

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

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

intransitive verb

: to become punctured

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about puncture

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Synonyms for puncture

Synonyms: Noun

Synonyms: Verb

Examples of puncture in a Sentence

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 His swollen foot, oozing from the puncture wound, looked like a rotting eggplant. — Ian Urbina, The New Yorker, "Fish Farming Is Feeding the Globe. What’s the Cost for Locals?," 1 Mar. 2021 Then again, no one knew Dallas would lose four key players to the coronavirus for the better part of three weeks, the most gaping puncture wound that caused bloody January. — Brad Townsend, Dallas News, "Finally February: For the Mavericks it’s win now. Or else . . .," 31 Jan. 2021 Blue ended up with a puncture wound on her left rear leg and another on her right front neck, injuries that were being treated with antibiotics. — Pam Louwagie, Star Tribune, "Grand Marais mayor's dog survives wolf attack," 19 Jan. 2021 After rolling up his pant leg and seeing deep puncture wounds and dangling fatty tissue, Sytz's friend urged him to go to the hospital. — Winston Gieseke, USA TODAY, "In CA: Mandate or not, Bay Area counties to begin stay-at-home order Sunday," 5 Dec. 2020 When used, the escaping air carries the sealant to the puncture. — The Editors, Field & Stream, "Three Questions To Ask When Buying Tire Sealant," 9 Sep. 2019 Thanks to Wilbanks, Gunner survived with only one puncture wound on his belly. — Alaa Elassar, CNN, "A puppy rescued from the jaws of alligator has been honored as a 'Deputy Dog'," 19 Dec. 2020 The camera caught footage of Wilbanks saving his 3-month-old puppy Gunner from an alligator, who has since recovered from a puncture wound. — Grace Pateras, USA TODAY, "Florida Man didn't let 2020 slow him down. Here's everything he did this year.," 10 Dec. 2020 After a quick home fix on Richard’s hands, Gunner went to the animal hospital where doctors found a puncture wound. — Karl Schneider, USA TODAY, "Florida man who saved his puppy from alligator's jaws shares update on dog's recovery," 24 Nov. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb In order to vaccinate the person with the last appointment of the day, at 6:45 p.m., a nurse on Dr. Gokal’s team had to puncture a new Moderna vial, meaning there were 10 doses that would expire at about 12:45 a.m. — Molly Longman, refinery29.com, "The Leftovers: Inside The Fierce Hunt For Extra Vaccines," 26 Feb. 2021 That's the outcome most likely to puncture current bull market. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "Watch out: Rising interest rates could be what kills the bull market," 25 Feb. 2021 Dogs of all sizes can easily hop over the low sides, and sharp claws won't puncture the pool's thick, durable PVC material. — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, "The Best Dog Pools For Your Pup," 12 Feb. 2021 That carried over into the second quarter as the Wolves struggled to puncture the Grizzlies' zone defense. — Chris Hine, Star Tribune, "Timberwolves collapse in fourth quarter, lose 118-107 to Memphis," 13 Jan. 2021 Fincher is happy to puncture the concept of the omnipotent auteur while acknowledging that a director will always be at the nexus of every artistic choice being made on set. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "David Fincher’s Theory of Moviemaking," 4 Dec. 2020 And the skeleton of a different dinosaur found at the U.T. Austin dig site—the plant-eating Sarahsaurus—features bite marks, attesting to the presence of a large meat-eating animal with jaws strong enough to puncture bone. — Matthew A. Brown, Scientific American, "The Real Dilophosaurus Would Have Eaten the Jurassic Park Version for Breakfast," 1 Jan. 2021 Instructions: Rinse and scrub potatoes and puncture multiple times with a fork. — Chuck Blount, ExpressNews.com, "Recipe: Chopped Barbecue-Topped Loaded Baked Potatoes," 11 Jan. 2021 Occasionally, The New York Times, Senator Bernie Sanders, or former President Barack Obama will puncture the top 10. — Siva Vaidhyanathan, The New Republic, "Making Sense of the Facebook Menace," 5 Jan. 2021

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.

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Last Updated

6 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Puncture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puncture. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for puncture

puncture

noun

English Language Learners Definition of puncture

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a hole or wound made by a sharp point

: a small hole in a tire that causes it to lose air

puncture

verb

English Language Learners Definition of puncture (Entry 2 of 2)

: to make a hole in (something) with a sharp point

: to weaken, damage, or destroy (something, such as an argument or a person's feelings, pride, etc.) suddenly or in a way that causes surprise or embarrassment

of a sound : to interrupt (silence) in a sudden and unexpected way

See the full definition for puncture in the English Language Learners Dictionary

puncture

noun

punc·ture | \ ˈpəŋk-chər