as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
doctors used to lance infected sores, so that they could drain clean
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples of lance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2021
Matt Williams is a free lance writer based in Nacogdoches.
—Matt Williams, Dallas News, 7 Oct. 2022
Amy Stanford, Health, 20 Apr. 2023
Cajazeira had spirited the former president from his quarters aboard the government steamship that had picked them up at the camp of a rubber baron and operated immediately, lancing Roosevelt’s abscess and draining it.
—Larry Rohter, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for lance 
Noun
Yellow lance mussels used to be more abundant in streams around the Chesapeake Bay, but as the water quality in the area has declined, so has this bivalve’s numbers.
—Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2021
Matt Williams is a free lance writer based in Nacogdoches.
—Matt Williams, Dallas News, 7 Oct. 2022
Verb
Plus, the cost of blood testing strips and lancing devices can really add up.
—Amy Stanford, Health, 20 Apr. 2023
Cajazeira had spirited the former president from his quarters aboard the government steamship that had picked them up at the camp of a rubber baron and operated immediately, lancing Roosevelt’s abscess and draining it.
—Larry Rohter, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for lance
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near lance
Cite this Entry
“Lance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lance. Accessed 14 Sep. 2024.
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