harpoons 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of harpoon
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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harpoons

2 of 2

noun

plural of harpoon
as in spears

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpoons
  1. stabs
  2. spears
  3. punctures
  4. lances
  5. jabs
  6. tridents
  7. pierces
  8. javelins
Verb
  • In the first five minutes, her Judith stabs a man at a party, escapes on skis and celebrates a job well done by bedding a besotted hottie.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
  • Kara talks her out of it, and when Ruthye walks away, Kara turns back to Krem and stabs him multiple times with a sword.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 June 2026
Definition of stabs
Noun
  • After sampling pickle ice cream or pickle beer on the bridge, visitors could step into Market Square and swap jars and spears for engines and steel.
    — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 20 July 2026
  • The unrest began in mid-March but has intensified, leaving at least three dead as vigilantes armed with spears, clubs, and whips assaulted migrants and destroyed their homes.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 28 June 2026
Definition of spears
Verb
  • That’s because when a snake bites and punctures the skin and transfers venom into the victim’s body, the venom attacks the skin, soft tissue and connective tissue beneath it.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • If a foreign object punctures the tread or sidewall, your tire can deflate slowly or quickly, depending on the puncture.
    — Jason Fogelson, AJC.com, 29 May 2026
Definition of punctures
Noun
  • Bottom cleaners use lances to scrape biofoul off hulls.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • Um dos lances mais bonitos da nossa história.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of lances
Verb
  • Michigan Dem hopeful Abdul El-Sayed jabs CNN giving him 'non-consensual colonoscopy' in recent interviews.
    — , FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026
  • But following elite competition is nearly impossible, with subtle flicks and jabs practically invisible to the naked eye—and competitors hidden behind masks.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Definition of jabs
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of tridents
Verb
  • An ice sculpture of a heart includes a tube through the ice arrow that pierces the heart.
    — Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 10 July 2026
  • And who the f--- pierces a 12 year old?
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026
Definition of pierces
Noun
  • Humans have been throwing javelins for a few hundred thousand years, yet performance has largely plateaued.
    — R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
  • The Tofinu took refuge in the lagoons along the Bight of Benin, a core area of the slave trade, venturing forth in canoes with harpoons, javelins, and swords to fight off raiders from powerful nearby kingdoms.
    — Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Definition of javelins
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

harpooning
harpoons
harps (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Harpoons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpoons. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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