as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
an icy, penetrating rain that made you feel really miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
Instead of penetrating deep brain tissue, the device uses minimally invasive extradural implantation, placing electrodes outside the dura layer of the brain.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 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
Commercial grout cleaners can be more effective than DIY solutions since these cleaners have a higher concentration of penetrating chemicals.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
Instead of penetrating deep brain tissue, the device uses minimally invasive extradural implantation, placing electrodes outside the dura layer of the brain.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penetrating
Adjective
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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
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The bulk of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull, the biting point of a shark tooth, the startling familiarity of a hominin footprint—and then there’s the charm inherent to any sample of regurgitalite, the paleontological term for fossilized vomit.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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State investigators say federal authorities have blocked them from accessing evidence, hindering a possible use-of-force investigation.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
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Kalshi pointed to optional features like face ID that can help prevent children and others from accessing users’ accounts.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Lang plays the antagonist, a bitter Alpine waiter whose family recipe for Grappa involves alchemy and witchcraft.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Mar. 2026
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It's been three months since a ceasefire ended bitter border fighting between Cambodia and Thailand, but signs of combat are cut deep in this 11th-century temple atop a 525-meter (1,722-foot) cliff in the Dangrek Mountain range.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But tungsten prices are particularly volatile during wartime – it’s used in armor-piercing artillery.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
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The ongoing investigation, led by Reisig, is sprawling, involving dozens of search warrants and arrests in Los Angeles County and Crescent City aimed at piercing the black-market world of fireworks that fueled the blast.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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City-level data show sharper declines from certain European hubs.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
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Poverty has fallen too, despite Milei’s sharp cut to subsidies that sparked mass protests.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Warriors cut the deficit to just seven midway through the third, but Boston quickly retook control and led 89-73 entering the fourth quarter.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
19 Mar. 2026
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Mount Pleasant had several players unable to play due to visa issues entering the United States.—
Damian Calhoun,
Daily News,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penetrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penetrating. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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