punc·ture
ˈpəŋk-chər 
1
: an act of puncturing
2
: a hole, wound, or perforation made by puncturing
3
: a minute depression
punctured; puncturing
ˈpəŋk-chə-riŋ
ˈpəŋk-shriŋ
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
: to become punctured
Synonyms
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
Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2024
Turbo was treated for puncture wounds, according to a veterinary bill provided to The Times, along with photos of the bite wound.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Rattlesnake bite symptoms include puncture wounds, swelling, bleeding, pain, agitation or depression, according to UC Davis.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 15 Apr. 2024
Check for any scratches or puncture marks on the lenses.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Feb. 2024
Medina allegedly used a wooden baseball bat and a flathead screwdriver to cause injuries including broken ribs, deep puncture wounds and extensive bruising.
—Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
The boy suffered several puncture wounds to his leg but is expected to be okay
An 8-year-old boy survived a shark attack near North Carolina’s Bald Head Island on Sunday, leaving him with leg wounds, PEOPLE confirms.
—Char Adams, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
The caulk gun comes with features such as an extra-long puncture rod and hook for storage.
—Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Mar. 2024
The figure has a small puncture in its neck, but experts have not determined its purpose yet, museum officials said on Facebook.
—Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2024
Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Don Wright, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist whose pointed work punctured duplicity and pomposity and resonated with common-sense readers, died on March 24 at his home in Palm Beach, Fla.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Things that puncture not just plastic bags but human skin and flesh.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
If the viewers are torn, scratched or punctured, discard them.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Yet most significantly for Iger, his reputation for making the right call at the right time has been punctured in Disney’s ever-evolving succession process.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
The one thing that always punctured the darkness was when Holocaust survivors would visit us in Krakow.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Little darts of flute and clarinet puncture the pulse of a modulated oscillator, with cello and violin casting long sentimental shadows.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
The administrative complaint says Sampson punctured patient E.R.’s liver and intestines and injected the fat removed from the abdomen into her gluteal muscles (prohibited in Florida since 2019).
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
Noun
Officers found a person at the scene with a non-life-threatening puncture wound.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2024
Turbo was treated for puncture wounds, according to a veterinary bill provided to The Times, along with photos of the bite wound.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Rattlesnake bite symptoms include puncture wounds, swelling, bleeding, pain, agitation or depression, according to UC Davis.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 15 Apr. 2024
Check for any scratches or puncture marks on the lenses.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Feb. 2024
Medina allegedly used a wooden baseball bat and a flathead screwdriver to cause injuries including broken ribs, deep puncture wounds and extensive bruising.
—Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
The boy suffered several puncture wounds to his leg but is expected to be okay
An 8-year-old boy survived a shark attack near North Carolina’s Bald Head Island on Sunday, leaving him with leg wounds, PEOPLE confirms.
—Char Adams, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
The caulk gun comes with features such as an extra-long puncture rod and hook for storage.
—Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Mar. 2024
The figure has a small puncture in its neck, but experts have not determined its purpose yet, museum officials said on Facebook.
—Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2024
Verb
Miss Manners would have punctured this woman’s timing by being a less willing participant to her insult-and-run.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
Don Wright, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist whose pointed work punctured duplicity and pomposity and resonated with common-sense readers, died on March 24 at his home in Palm Beach, Fla.
—Sam Roberts, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Things that puncture not just plastic bags but human skin and flesh.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
If the viewers are torn, scratched or punctured, discard them.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Yet most significantly for Iger, his reputation for making the right call at the right time has been punctured in Disney’s ever-evolving succession process.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
The one thing that always punctured the darkness was when Holocaust survivors would visit us in Krakow.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Little darts of flute and clarinet puncture the pulse of a modulated oscillator, with cello and violin casting long sentimental shadows.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
The administrative complaint says Sampson punctured patient E.R.’s liver and intestines and injected the fat removed from the abdomen into her gluteal muscles (prohibited in Florida since 2019).
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'puncture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near puncture
Cite this Entry
“Puncture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puncture. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
puncture
1 of 2 noun
punc·ture
ˈpəŋ(k)-chər
1
: the act of puncturing
2
: a hole or wound made by puncturing
a slight puncture of the skin
a tire puncture
puncture
2 of 2 verb
punctured; puncturing
ˈpəŋ(k)-chə-riŋ
ˈpəŋ(k)-shriŋ
1
: to make a hole with a point
a nail punctured the tire
2
: to suffer a puncture of
punctured the tire on a nail
3
: to become punctured
worn tires puncture easily
4
: to make useless or ridiculous as if by a puncture
puncture an argument
Medical Definition
puncture
1 of 2 noun
punc·ture
ˈpəŋ(k)-chər
1
: an act of puncturing
2
: a hole, wound, or perforation made by puncturing
puncture
2 of 2 verb
punctured; puncturing
ˈpəŋ(k)-chə-riŋ, ˈpəŋ(k)-shriŋ
: to pierce with or as if with a pointed instrument or object
puncture the skin with a needle
: to become punctured
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