as in stabs
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 harpoons
Verb
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The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.—
Therie Hendrey-Seabrook,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 Mar. 2026 -
But this person who was a friend, who owes her career to me, just stabs me in the back.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That means fresh and tender asparagus spears, crunchy snap pea pods, and spicy radishes are in season.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
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Some of the Bindjareb attempted to escape, while others grabbed their spears, and at least five Bindjareb individuals were killed in the resulting skirmish.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Joel, a 19‑year veteran, begins pursuing after another officer deploys a spike strip and punctures the Challenger's tires.—
Kelsy Mittauer,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The narrower design, combined with the several sharp teeth, effectively punctures through tough pepper skin and hard fruits to cut out the core and remove seeds in a matter of seconds.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The public jabs from the president have angered some Catholics, the single largest religious denomination in the United States, according to Pew Research Center.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
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Donald Trump‘s effort today to praise his new Homeland Security Secretary and defend him from Jimmy Kimmel‘s jabs kind of backfired.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Warhorses charge, lances down, crashing through the tilts as lances break on shields and men topple from their steeds.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Its 1959 Googie-style sign pierces the sky, a beacon of hope for weary road-trippers cruising this achingly lonely stretch of highway.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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Lower the heat to medium-high and cook, gently stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and a paring knife easily pierces a potato, about 15 minutes.—
C.W. Cameron,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Grasping hands reach out in despair, deities wield tridents and divine lotus flowers symbolize the 16 levels of Brahma (higher realms).—
Vicky Smith,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Hoosiers can hunt frogs with bow and arrows, clubs, some firearms, or simply, their hands, but Plumier teaches those gathered at Goose Pond how to use gigs — long, multi-pronged spears that look a little bit like tridents.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Lohan's day of filming included a version that sticks closely to the original blueprint.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
3 Apr. 2026
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Once the media sticks its oar in, the real reason for the robbery emerges by degrees.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Harpoons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpoons. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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