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
  • Attorneys for Karmelo Anthony filed an appeal and requested a new trial for the 19-year-old convicted of fatally stabbing another student.
    — Kaylah Jackson, NBC news, 8 July 2026
  • But Morian Walker, who is pursuing his own lawsuit over his grandson’s stabbing death, said more must be done to keep children safe.
    — Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • On June 3, Walden went to the hospital, where a CT scan revealed the metal bristle had become lodged in his bowel and had begun puncturing his intestine.
    — Nick Lunemann, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • Where there’s normally carpet or hardwood floors, there are rocks, puncturing bare feet with each step.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of puncturing
Verb
  • Granite cliffs piercing the sea and the sky are Acadia National Park’s most recognizable feature.
    — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
  • Her flat, piercing groundstrokes and booming serve are perfect for grass, and defending champion Świątek will need to calm down her serving roller coaster to stay in touch.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 1 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
  • Bryce Eldridge handled the rest, picking Schmitt’s throw out of the dirt to complete the double play.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
  • The studio showed strong instincts when picking creative partners on the horror side, too.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
Definition of picking
Verb
  • Perrineau is weary, if not quite as wrecked as the car sticking halfway out of the far wall.
    — Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
  • The banana leaf acts as a protective barrier, preventing the salmon from sticking or drying out during the slow roast.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Harpooning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpooning. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on harpooning

Nglish: Translation of harpooning for Spanish Speakers

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