Synonyms of incise

incise

verb

in-ˈsīz 

1

as in to etch

to cut (as letters or designs) on a hard surface

incised a pattern into the copper plate

Synonyms & Similar Words

• etch
• inscribe
• engrave
• carve
• grave
• trace
• sculpt
• chisel
• sculpture
• insculp
• affix
• indent
• notch
• groove
• chase
• impress
• score

2

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

• slit
• slice
• rip
• slash
• cut
• pierce
• stab
• bruise
• shear
• gash
• split
• chop
• carve
• sever
• cleave
• tear
• dissect
• crosscut
• lacerate
• chisel
• rend
• butcher
• chip
• hack
• mangle
• rive
• saw
• section
• haggle
• hacksaw
• scissor
• dice
• mince
• amputate
• notch
• anatomize
• cut off

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of incise

Patterns on vessels were often incised into the mold itself, as this technique allowed for fine details to be transferred from mold to object. — Teagan Wolter, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026

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