as in stabs
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 lances
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
At a handful of locations, these spikes extended out to nearly a meter, looking more like lances than anything needed to ward off a close-in attack.
—ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025
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
Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
At a handful of locations, these spikes extended out to nearly a meter, looking more like lances than anything needed to ward off a close-in attack.
—ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lances
Noun
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The finish came when Rollins nearly secured a victory but met his end after a pair of rib-splitting spears.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
-
Up next was pineapple, its spikes thoughtfully sheared smooth and cut into spears.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.—
Therie Hendrey-Seabrook,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 Mar. 2026
-
But this person who was a friend, who owes her career to me, just stabs me in the back.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Humans have been throwing javelins for a few hundred thousand years, yet performance has largely plateaued.—
R. Alexander Bentley,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
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The Tofinu took refuge in the lagoons along the Bight of Benin, a core area of the slave trade, venturing forth in canoes with harpoons, javelins, and swords to fight off raiders from powerful nearby kingdoms.—
Laurent Dubois,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Joel, a 19‑year veteran, begins pursuing after another officer deploys a spike strip and punctures the Challenger's tires.—
Kelsy Mittauer,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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The narrower design, combined with the several sharp teeth, effectively punctures through tough pepper skin and hard fruits to cut out the core and remove seeds in a matter of seconds.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
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Its 1959 Googie-style sign pierces the sky, a beacon of hope for weary road-trippers cruising this achingly lonely stretch of highway.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But following elite competition is nearly impossible, with subtle flicks and jabs practically invisible to the naked eye—and competitors hidden behind masks.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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The public jabs from the president have angered some Catholics, the single largest religious denomination in the United States, according to Pew Research Center.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Subscribe here to our newsletter In Review by David Ehrlich, in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the best new reviews and streaming picks along with some exclusive musings — all only available to subscribers.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
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This is why the Cleveland Cavaliers surrendered three players and three unprotected draft picks to acquire Donovan Mitchell, for moments such as Sunday’s Game 7 in Detroit.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The Antarctic Peninsula, a spindly chain of icy mountains which sticks off the west side of the continent like a thumb pointing toward South America, is one of the fastest warming places in the Southern Hemisphere.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
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Each sticks their face in the fan at an admirable level, but separation ability will always be their calling card.—
Jimmy Durkin,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lances. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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