Thesaurus results for LANCE

lance 1 of 2

noun

ˈlan(t)s

as in spear

a weapon with a long straight handle and sharp head or blade the lance struck squarely on the knight's shield, knocking him from his horse

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

lance

2 of 2

verb

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of lance

Noun

Warhorses charge, lances down, crashing through the tilts as lances break on shields and men topple from their steeds. —

Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 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

Asking a question that lanced through his core. —

Stephen Humphries, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for lance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lance

Noun

Young boys, some no older than five or six, showed off their marksmanship by throwing reeds like spears with perfect accuracy, and the men demonstrated their precision with bow and arrow.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Vanhanen was the playmaker on a line with Carter Bear and Julius Miettinen, a trio that was the tip of the spear for the Silvertips’ high-octane offensive attack this season.

— Thomas Drance, New York Times, 8 June 2026