as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
she deftly harpooned a shrimp with her skewer and held it over the fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of harpoon
David Matthews, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
While David padded toward the bow where two harpoons lay ready, Kim throttled down and the Theresa slowly, almost silently, moved in behind the cruising fin.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
When activated, the harpoon is ejected, penetrates under the skin, and venom is released.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
Once the lander’s three legs absorb the landing shock, Philae will anchor itself in the comet’s surface by firing two harpoons while using a thruster to counteract the force of the harpoons.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Nov. 2014
See All Example Sentences for harpoon
Noun
Ali reportedly tried to use a handheld harpoon while trying to access the apartment through the house’s front door before trying to break a window and smash his way inside.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
While David padded toward the bow where two harpoons lay ready, Kim throttled down and the Theresa slowly, almost silently, moved in behind the cruising fin.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
When activated, the harpoon is ejected, penetrates under the skin, and venom is released.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
Once the lander’s three legs absorb the landing shock, Philae will anchor itself in the comet’s surface by firing two harpoons while using a thruster to counteract the force of the harpoons.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Nov. 2014
See All Example Sentences for harpoon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpoon
Verb
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The woman who was stabbed is in stable condition, and the man is in critical condition, the spokesperson said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Early the following morning, Anaheim police officers responded to the intersection of Santa Ana and Helena streets after witnesses reported seeing two men chasing Reyes and one of them stabbing him.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As the fates would have it, Diemer has had a lifelong obsession with Poseidon, as evidenced by his prominent trident necklace, the iconic emblem and weapon of the sea god.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
11 Dec. 2025
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Hannah and his team also built chariots specific to each Camp Half-Blood cabin, with a trident adorning Percy and Tyson’s (Daniel Diemer) for the Poseidon cabin and a steampunk version for the Hephaestus cabin, among others.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Leaky Penetrations Houses are pierced with various penetrations, including outdoor water faucets, bathroom exhausts, chimneys, soil stacks, and wires.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
16 Jan. 2026
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Check the product for rough edges that could potentially pierce the skin.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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To say that ranch is popular is an understatement because Americans love the tangy taste on everything from chips to pickle spears to shrimp.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Jan. 2026
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Yiyoguaje sported a spectacular headdress of layered feathers that cascaded down his back, blue and pink, green and yellow, topped by three long macaw feathers standing up like spears.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Place mats at a safe distance from sharp objects that could puncture or otherwise damage them.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
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In the original script, the contemporary world wasn’t designed to puncture Armando’s story until the 90-minute mark.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The retainer then struck her down with a halberd, set the mansion ablaze, and committed seppuku.—
Nicholas Liu,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2024
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Also, his halberd starts fritzing on the floor before fading out of existence, a reminder that this is all virtual reality—or rather, VR within VR, the metatextual framing of Ubisoft’s latest Assassin’s Creed game.—
WIRED,
WIRED,
16 Nov. 2023
Verb
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But the Aztecs had a counterpunch for every Cowboys jab – a Miles Byrd drive that drew two free throws, a jump hook off the glass from Pharaoh Compton, a 3 from Magoon Gwath, a 3 from Taj DeGourville , a jumper in traffic from Dixon-Waters.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
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Others stuck flagpoles through an open passenger-side window, appearing to jab the suspect.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The shooting spurts of goo, pus, and assorted bodily fluids are not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, but for those who enjoy watching an expert pop pimples, lance boils, and generally improve the quality of her patients' lives, Dr. Pimple Popper is sure to deliver.—
Ilana Gordon,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Dec. 2025
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The nest hoards of bearded vultures in southern Spain, where the species is extinct, were found to harbor such human artifacts as a crossbow bolt, a slingshot, a wooden lance, and a shoe with an approximate age of 675 years.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
23 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpoon. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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