as in stabbing
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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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpooning
Verb
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Ivan Miller, 22, of Blakesburg, Iowa, admitted to shooting the three women and stabbing one of them in interviews with investigators, according to a criminal complaint.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA TODAY,
6 Mar. 2026 -
The next morning, as Nguyen was getting ready for work, Tran shot her in the arm with a BB gun, forced her into a closet and then began stabbing her repeatedly with a knife, Campbell said.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Conviction in the Gulf as a future global hub for AI infrastructure is facing its first stress test with Iranian strikes puncturing the region’s image as a haven for computing power.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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The tree was left in pieces, with one portion puncturing the roof of the school and another crushing a fence.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An autopsy shows all three shots fired by Stevens hit Martinez, with bullets traveling through his left arm before entering his torso and piercing his heart, lungs, liver and other organs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
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An autopsy report shows all three shots fired by Stevens hit Martinez, with bullets traveling through his left arm before entering his torso and piercing his heart, lungs, liver and other organs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mourinho shot off down the touchline, fingers jabbing the air, hugging a ballboy in jubilation.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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Though none of the celebrity moms in question have publicly spoken about the drama, earlier this week, Koma, whom has also produced several of Duff's songs in the past, shared a meme to his Instagram Story jabbing Tisdale French's piece in The Cut.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Finding the right pillow is a lot like picking the perfect paint color—there are thousands of options to narrow down, and each one can make an impact on how cozy your bedroom feels.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
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Winds were predicted to subside in the evening hours on Saturday before picking back up on Sunday morning, albeit at lower speeds than Saturday morning.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While standard cast iron typically requires seasoning to both preserve and maintain its quality and help prevent food from sticking, this cast iron is equipped with a black matte satin interior enamel coating that’s made to resist cracking, chipping, and staining.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
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Hanson continued to cause problems for Christensen — now at Barcelona — by sticking diligently to his left flank duties, and Filipe Morais levelled the score 15 minutes from time.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Harpooning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpooning. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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