as in stabbing
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
doctors used to lance infected sores, so that they could drain clean
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lancing
His maiden first-class — let alone Test — century was confirmed with a tension-lancing scythe over midwicket in the final session, writes Dominic Fifield.
—
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
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
Sivas begins with apartment blocks and minarets lancing a peach sky shaded with haze.
—Kurt Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2024
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
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
Sivas begins with apartment blocks and minarets lancing a peach sky shaded with haze.
—Kurt Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lancing
Verb
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Advertisement In the fight, Ruben begins to strangle Niall, though Niall protects himself by stabbing Ruben in the side with a knife.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
29 May 2026
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The 23-year-old man was suicidal and held a butcher’s knife to his own throat before charging at officers and stabbing both Officer Mark Moore and a police dog at an Aurora apartment complex.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Despite their drumbeats and piercing loud songs, Inter Miami got off to a miserable start on Sunday in a wild final game before the World Cup break.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
25 May 2026
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When North was first spotted with a dermal piercing on her hand in September 2025, fans were quick to call out Kardashian, 45, for allowing her preteen daughter to undergo body modifications.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Memories linger from past hurricanes with limbs puncturing roofs, car windows smashed and lives disrupted.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
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With the stick shortened, Sweets went into surgery, where vets discovered that the stick had gone into and through the dog's abdomen, puncturing the abdominal wall on the other side, but not the skin.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
15 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
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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 doctors are meticulous about the medical side of operations, spending two years cherry picking the best new technologies and recruiting a team of doctors and therapists from some of Europe’s most respected spas, including Lanserhof, Chenot, and the Mayr clinics.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
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No one was picking the Dons in this one.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Then, fill them with soil or compost before sticking the seeds in.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
22 May 2026
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This creates a barrier between the steel and the food that will reduce sticking.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lancing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lancing. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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