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
Noel Murray, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2026
The nest hoards of bearded vultures in southern Spain, where the species is extinct, were found to harbor such human artifacts as a crossbow bolt, a slingshot, a wooden lance, and a shoe with an approximate age of 675 years.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for lance
Noun
As the horses gallop and the lances shatter, Egg whoops like a ringside spectator at WrestleMania.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2026
The nest hoards of bearded vultures in southern Spain, where the species is extinct, were found to harbor such human artifacts as a crossbow bolt, a slingshot, a wooden lance, and a shoe with an approximate age of 675 years.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Verb
Penn, giving a brilliant performance of cold villainy that could win him a third Oscar, is unafraid of lancing the inherent goofiness of a fascist.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for lance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lance
Noun
-
Reigns hit up a popup Superman punch and a spear.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
As Rollins got back into the ring, Breakker hit him with a spear.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Three people were stabbed on a Rhode Island beach Tuesday as hundreds of teenagers packed the area, forcing beachgoers to flee.—
Louis Casiano , Brooke Taylor,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
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The family's dog then came to protect the family, and Vigneau allegedly stabbed the dog twice in the mouth area, prosecutors say.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Sergei Bubka of the Soviet Union breaks his world outdoor pole vault record and Seppo Raty of Finland smashes the world javelin record during the Toto International Super Track and Field Meet in Japan.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
The first field events of 2026 are a series of high school girls championships, including discus throw, shot put, long jump, high jump and javelin throw.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Yet the rebuttal did not totally puncture Axelsson’s belief in inflatable furniture.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
In rare cases, Asamoah says a colon cleanse could puncture your bowel, which may cause a severe infection or even be life-threatening.—
Erica Sweeney,
Time,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Gabrielle’s unflinching competence and dynamism belie acute sensitivity, and the actress allows hints of child-like hurt and hesitation to pierce the carapace.—
Jon Frosch,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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Because errors constantly occurred and changes were frequently made to the code, Hamilton sometimes edited the printout by hand by sealing excess holes with clear tape or piercing missing ones in the paper tape with a sharp pencil.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The president has kept up his criticism of Leo, jabbing the pope in a May 4 interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on the eve of Rubio’s visit.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
-
In the 10 months since, Colbert has not held back, regularly jabbing his network, its new owners’ cozy relationship with the president and reports that his show was hemorrhaging $40 million a year.—
Lacey Rose,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Verb
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The attorney general will pick who disburses money from the fund and the president can remove any of those people, according to the DOJ.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
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This is as important, and as boring, in theory, as picking a fund for your 401(k), yet, improbably, the draft has become one of the largest events on the sporting calendar.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The Frenchman is a front-footed middle man who gets stuck into tackles, is relatively press-resistant and will often resort to dribbling to get out of tight spots.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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But with mortgage rates appearing to be stuck at an elevated level now, the value of this strategy has grown in recent months.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lance. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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