as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
an icy, penetrating rain that made you feel really miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in accessing
to go or come in or into
a needle penetrated the heavy canvas only with great effort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of penetrating
Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2023
Nachmanides takes a different approach and offers perhaps the most penetrating psychological insight.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2022
Ryan Brennan
april 1, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
Pritzker said the speed with which AI is penetrating all forms of life is concerning.
—Chris Tye, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Adjective
Those pictures are much more penetrating then the pictures of walls with bullet holes.
—Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2023
Nachmanides takes a different approach and offers perhaps the most penetrating psychological insight.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2022
Verb
Geophysics experts caution that ground-penetrating radar typically only resolves features a few meters below the surface — not the depths Biondi’s theory requires.
—Ryan Brennan
april 1, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
Pritzker said the speed with which AI is penetrating all forms of life is concerning.
—Chris Tye, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penetrating
Adjective
-
Much like the days getting longer and the air less biting, a sure harbinger that spring is coming is the 33rd annual West Suburban Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Naperville.—
Annie Alleman,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even for people living outside those states and cities, the barriers to accessing psilocybin mushrooms are low.—
Hollis Karoly,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Smartwatch makers are blocked from accessing the iMessage APIs necessary to offer full messaging functionality, forcing consumers who want that feature to buy an Apple Watch.—
Jordan Sekulow,
Boston Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Coming in tandem with currently skyrocketing oil prices and new sets of tariffs imposed by the president to replace the earlier ones, this situation is an especially bitter pill for low-income and even average families whose budgets are already stressed.—
Robert Hormats,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Hemp vs marijuana The hemp industry and the licensed marijuana industry have been in a bitter battle.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Harden, 36, with his famous, protruding beard and those dark, piercing eyes, was determined to use his star power to get his way, to bring with him a slice of comfort to a new city.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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With one quick push of a button, BLINGSTING Safety Alarms ear-piercing 125-decibel personal alarm sounds, intended to startle an aggressor and immediately alert bystanders that there’s a problem.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The graph showed a flat line with a single sharp spike in the middle.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Bird replaced Cruz but wasn’t any sharper, walking Otto Lopez on four pitches and then plunking pinch-hitter Griffin Conine to load the bases.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Check with lifeguards before entering the ocean for possible hazards you may be swept into.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Last month, there was widespread backlash when two senior leaders of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem were initially blocked from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to mark the start of Holy Week on Palm Sunday.—
Riane Lumer,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penetrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penetrating. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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