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as in to slit
to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife)
incised the tree with a sharp ax to get the sap flowing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incise
Little climbed into a trench and bent over a vertical stone that was incised with a web of typically Orcadian geometric patterns.
—
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Ellen Greenberg, 27, was found in her apartment with nearly two dozen stab and incised wounds and a knife in her chest in January 2011, according to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's office.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2025
To match its maritime origins, it was incised with designs of cavorting Tritons and surmounted with a silver Neptune riding a hippocampus—a lot of gaudy ornament around a big brown husk.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 June 2025
The coroner ruled Carol’s cause of death as hypovolemia, which is when the plasma is too low from excessive bleeding; multiple stab and incised wounds from a sharp instrument; and a blunt force injury that fractured the skull, according to the coroner’s report.
—Stephanie Warsmith, USA Today, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for incise
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Ellen Greenberg, 27, was found in her apartment with nearly two dozen stab and incised wounds and a knife in her chest in January 2011, according to the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's office.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2025
To match its maritime origins, it was incised with designs of cavorting Tritons and surmounted with a silver Neptune riding a hippocampus—a lot of gaudy ornament around a big brown husk.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 June 2025
The coroner ruled Carol’s cause of death as hypovolemia, which is when the plasma is too low from excessive bleeding; multiple stab and incised wounds from a sharp instrument; and a blunt force injury that fractured the skull, according to the coroner’s report.
—Stephanie Warsmith, USA Today, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for incise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incise
Verb
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Twenty-five years ago, MIT Professor Yet-Ming Chiang bought a tube of glass-etching cream to turn clear glass blocks translucent.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
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The star’s one-piece bikini also featured a nude underlay with floral designs etched into the black fabric and a plunging neckline trimmed with a scalloped pattern.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Before police took him into custody, Tran slit his wrists, cut his neck and poked the blade into his stomach, but all of the wounds were superficial.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
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If it’s baked in a loaf pan, go ahead and slit the top of the batter before baking.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tower Bridge was inscribed in the history books in 1982, when it was inducted into the National Register of Historic Places.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
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An outstanding work of Gothic architecture, the Roman Catholic cathedral (and the historic city center) was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The hotel is on the corner of Mission Street, which slices diagonally through the city, and the Embarcadero, which hugs the waterfront from the Bay Bridge west to Fisherman’s Wharf.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Hardwood Poke Poke, meaning to cut or slice into chunks in Hawaiian, was born centuries ago as a fisherman’s snack.—
Sylvie Bigar,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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The Revere bowl was hidden for decades by the descendants of the secret resistors whose names are engraved on its surface.—
Greg Allen,
ARTnews.com,
7 June 2026
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Almost every surface is laser-engraved with text, in thirteen languages.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
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In standard laser designs, this structural stress causes the hyper-fast pulses to destabilize and rip themselves apart.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
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On the first pitch of his assignment, Lewis ripped a 91 mph cutter from Omaha’s Mitch Spence for a home run.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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But even these trails, like the ones Vernon carved out with friends near his home in Bella Vista, have had a positive effect.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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The pieces, from 2019, were originally carved from oak trees and then cast in bronze.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
Verb
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On Tuesday, Missouri Promise PAC released a video ad that depicted Missouri as a race car competing against other states to slash taxes on a NASCAR-style track.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
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Crosby, a deputy city attorney endorsed by the county Democratic Party, had sent mailers contending Bailey’s promises to reduce city spending would slash funding for parks, libraries and homeless shelters.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incise. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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