lancing

verb

present participle of lance
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

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 lancing Use the lancing device (with a new lancet each time) to obtain a drop of blood from the side of your fingertip. — Karen Berger, Verywell Health, 30 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lancing
  1. stabbing
  2. piercing
  3. puncturing
  4. jabbing
  5. picking
  6. sticking
Verb
  • Video clips of Guarino performing the Endo One procedure — which involves repeatedly stabbing the skin with a thin, cylindrical rod, releasing a red laser — are posted regularly on his and EvoSkin’s Instagram accounts.
    — Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • Holly returns to save her dad by violently stabbing and killing Crowley, but Voit decides to take the fall for Holly and is put back behind bars.
    — Joyce Eng, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • Collins can’t make the same pivot without piercing the brand that carried him this far.
    — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
  • The documentary feature Noga, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival last month and is currently making the film-festival rounds, is as piercing as that shriek.
    — Marisa Fox, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • As the spacecraft closed in, the video follows Mars steadily expanding to reveal numerous craters puncturing its surface, the ancient double-ringed Huygens crater and the south polar ice cap before receding in the spacecraft's rearview.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 22 July 2026
  • On June 3, Walden went to the hospital, where a CT scan revealed the metal bristle had become lodged in his bowel and had begun puncturing his intestine.
    — Nick Lunemann, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Definition of puncturing
Verb
  • The show ushered in a new era of winking, elbow-jabbing meta-musicals.
    — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • The audience groaned, while Vergara and Mel B screamed for Strange to stop jabbing at his partner through the box.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 17 June 2026
Definition of jabbing
Verb
  • Still, as the season’s profits illustrate, carefully picking home run props can leave bettors in the black.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
  • Lara is a sweet and relatable protagonist, and her firm dedication to picking herself up and trying to pave her own life after heartbreak is a strong hook to propel the rest of the story forward.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of picking
Verb
  • Everyone looks glowing and glamorous, despite sticking generally to a dutiful antiquities theme.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • When an outside threat increases, various mammal species will respond by sticking close together.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 July 2026
Definition of sticking

Browse Nearby Words

lances
lancing
land
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Cite this Entry

“Lancing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lancing. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lancing

Nglish: Translation of lancing for Spanish Speakers

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