harpooning

verb

present participle of harpoon
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
  1. stabbing
  2. puncturing
  3. piercing
  4. jabbing
  5. picking
  6. sticking
Verb
  • Brennan was previously convicted of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon after stabbing her 76-year-old mother to death with a butcher knife in Hollywood in 2014, according to a probable cause affidavit.
    — Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Sanders admitted to stabbing her sons to death in February 2018.
    — Mike Toole, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • It’s been a classic staple over decades of British comedy, which from Basil Fawlty to David Brent has rejoiced in puncturing pomposity to reveal idiocy and incompetence.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Think of it as a stamp that presses into the top layer of your skin, and deposits pigment instead of puncturing the skin thousands of times.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of puncturing
Verb
  • His piercing blue eyes shone through, despite the facial prosthetics covering every inch of his skin.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 30 July 2026
  • Their headlamps piercing the watery dark, the group swims along (only Sara has accepted a life jacket), admiring the bats and stalactites while Wat reminds them to respect the caves.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • The show ushered in a new era of winking, elbow-jabbing meta-musicals.
    — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • The audience groaned, while Vergara and Mel B screamed for Strange to stop jabbing at his partner through the box.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 17 June 2026
Definition of jabbing
Verb
  • The casualties of picking wrong fill the YC fintech graveyard.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • As the back-and-forth plays out between the former couple, Senate Republicans are increasingly picking a side.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of picking
Verb
  • Randy Orton returned for the first time since his loss to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42, sticking Rhodes with an RKO and allowing Punk to win with his fifth GTS.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Workers can also be seen standing nearby and don't appear to notice the people sticking their hands in the water.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of sticking
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

harpooned
harpooning
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Cite this Entry

“Harpooning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpooning. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on harpooning

Nglish: Translation of harpooning for Spanish Speakers

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