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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
The artist works predominantly in soft pastel and oil pastel, deeply layered, incised, etched, and otherwise manipulated into phantasmagoric visions.
—
Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 6 Sep. 2024
Initial analysis suggested the tattoos were incised with a blade and then impregnated with black pigment.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
There, the child incised into the skirt on the right turns out to be standing on one of their mom’s feet, while the child incised on the left is actively stepping up on her other foot.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Carved from wood as a durable, 3-foot-tall, totem-like column, it was then wrapped in linen, covered with smooth plaster and incised and painted.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for incise
Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 6 Sep. 2024
Initial analysis suggested the tattoos were incised with a blade and then impregnated with black pigment.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
There, the child incised into the skirt on the right turns out to be standing on one of their mom’s feet, while the child incised on the left is actively stepping up on her other foot.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Carved from wood as a durable, 3-foot-tall, totem-like column, it was then wrapped in linen, covered with smooth plaster and incised and painted.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for incise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incise
Verb
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An artisan was hired to etch the enchanted forest ice design on the jar, which is central to the film’s plot.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
22 May 2025
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Jurors were also shown close-up photos of gun components where the serial numbers were etched off.—
Victoria Bekiempis,
Vulture,
21 May 2025
Verb
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Everyone, even the children, have scars from where the corners of their mouths have been slit up into their cheeks, Joker-style.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
27 Apr. 2025
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There are no marks on the bones directly attributable to a cause of death, Green said, and the Romans typically killed their sacrifices by slitting their throats or through drowning.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The clues first turn up inscribed in a 9th-century Tibetan scroll and then — Da Vinci Code style — in the 1600s in masterpieces painted by Caravaggio, Rubens, Velázquez, El Greco and Rembrandt.—
Sean Kingsley,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
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The garden will have the names of Bluebell, Moley and Beth, as well as Charles' dog Snuff, inscribed on a path.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Calamari Fries At Clever Koi, a modern Asian eatery in Greater Phoenix, calamari steak is sliced into strips, lightly battered in tempura, and flash-fried for a crispy, zesty bite.—
Kaila Yu,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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Last year’s series MVP sliced a first-pitch fastball over left fielder Cody Bellinger’s head for a run-scoring double.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Verb
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Brunson’s Clutch Player of the Year trophy — an elegant, glass prize that looks like a vase with a gold jump shooter floating in the middle — arrived from the NBA weeks ago with an error: His name wasn’t engraved in it.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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And white is really the color that is engraved in my memory about Morocco.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Now the Trump administration wants to negate that argument by asserting that to harm an endangered species means only to injure or kill it directly: to rip it out by the roots or blow it away with a shotgun.—
Emma Marris,
The Atlantic,
25 May 2025
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The Tangipahoa Jail is about 70 miles away from New Orleans, where 10 inmates escaped by ripping a toilet and sink unit from the wall and climbing through a hole on May 16.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Verb
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This program carves the path to transform its matriculants from a high school senior into an empathetic, well-rounded physician ready to make an impact.—
Kristen Moon,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Instead, airlines are now carving out cheaper fare classes exclusively for multi-passenger bookings, reversing traditional booking dynamics.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Verb
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His college admissions have been the subject of speculation since the Trump administration's Tuesday, May 27, decision to slash all remaining federal funding to the Ivy League institution.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
28 May 2025
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Some Harvard labs, including one working on human organs-on-chips, which replicate the function of organs, have received stop-work orders following the Trump Administration’s efforts to slash funding.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incise. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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