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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lance
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 July 2025
Flame-retardant foams do little, and fire departments now favor high-pressure water lances or immersion pits.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 June 2025
Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Sirens echoed in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with the nighttime skies over the latter lighted with bursts of yellow as missiles from Israel’s Arrow defense system lanced up to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lance
Noun
The three-lobed ray petals of lance leaf blanket flower, Gaillardia aestivalis, give the flowers a unique appearance.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 July 2025
Flame-retardant foams do little, and fire departments now favor high-pressure water lances or immersion pits.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 June 2025
Verb
Robinson, 22, is accused of firing a single bullet that lanced Kirk’s neck during a public appearance on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Sirens echoed in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with the nighttime skies over the latter lighted with bursts of yellow as missiles from Israel’s Arrow defense system lanced up to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lance
Noun
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Guests learn navigation, shelter building, spear making, and foraging for wild foods, along with fire-starting and astro-navigation techniques.—
Essence,
Essence,
20 Oct. 2025
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Asparagus boasts 89 micrograms (mcg) of folate per four spears.—
Molly Burford,
Verywell Health,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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David Arquette will somehow reprise his role as Dewey Riley, despite the fact that the character was stabbed to death a couple movies ago.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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Arredondo allegedly stabbed Paulos 30 times before fleeing the scene and then vanishing altogether, police said.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The tricky part is fitting hammer throw, javelin and discus into the equation.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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The senior placed first at the Div. 1 championship in both javelin and discus.—
Brian Roach,
Boston Herald,
6 July 2025
Verb
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Pinjar thus starts out with Hamida’s disgust, puncturing notions of maternal affection revered in mainstream South Asian (and other) narratives.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
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The moon is covered with about 10 meters of regolith, a mix of dust, ash and rocks punctured by craters and boulders—not pristine landing pads.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Produced before the gag order was lifted, the four-part docuseries One Night in Idaho turns its focus to the families, friends and community members still wrestling with the aftermath, offering a piercing look at a case with many unanswered questions.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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The grotesque details—the uncle’s fingernails piercing his hands, the dog’s permanent terror of rabbits—are simply there.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For nations in the developing world, the vote has been an opportunity to jab at the United States on an issue that has traditionally carried little diplomatic weight.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
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To their right, a woman raised her hand, jabbing her index finger forward and shouting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On the day show up when the party starts, smile, thank everyone, especially MIL then have your husband pick you up exactly when the party is due to end.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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And thank you, Survivor gods for not having Uli lose the immunity challenge, which would have led to yet another super obvious vote, this time of my preseason pick to win it all, Nate.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Actors like Eric Bogosian and Jason Schwartzman waltz in and schmooze it up as vampires living their best afterlives, completely overshadowing Denton, who’s stuck in noob-human mode and doesn’t progress much past that.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
25 Oct. 2025
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Take two mint crowns, lightly bruise them with your fingers, and stick them against the inside close to the straw.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lance. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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