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
  • Martinez Police Department A suspect accused of fatally stabbing a man outside a California residence during a burglary a day after being released from custody has been charged with murder, officials said.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Jurors heard a harrowing voicemail left by Johnson begging one of her friends for help as Williams butchered her, stabbing her five times in the chest and four times in her back.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • The woman eventually managed to escape and ran to a neighbor for help, WPLG reported, adding that her piercing screams were captured on home surveillance video.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The company has been piercing girls and their mothers for nearly five decades with 131 million ears pierced to date.
    — Sharon Edelson, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • It’s been a classic staple over decades of British comedy, which from Basil Fawlty to David Brent has rejoiced in puncturing pomposity to reveal idiocy and incompetence.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Think of it as a stamp that presses into the top layer of your skin, and deposits pigment instead of puncturing the skin thousands of times.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 6 Aug. 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
  • The casualties of picking wrong fill the YC fintech graveyard.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • As the back-and-forth plays out between the former couple, Senate Republicans are increasingly picking a side.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of picking
Verb
  • Florida Attorney General James Ulthmeier once again is grandstanding and sticking his nose into a national issue.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Packers rookie defensive tackle Anthony Campbell has gone from an enormous longshot to make the roster to having a puncher’s chance of sticking.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lancing

Nglish: Translation of lancing for Spanish Speakers

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