as in enclosing
to close or shut in by or as if by barriers
remember to pen up the dogs when visitors come over
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as in writing
to compose and set down on paper the words of
though relatively unknown at the time of his death, the composer had penned some of the most memorable show tunes of his era
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Recent Examples of penning
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Sybil lives alone and spends her days fountain-penning personal letters and occasional emails that tell the story of her loves, losses, sorrows and deep regrets, through her alternately curmudgeonly and generous-hearted persona.
—Patricia Steckler, Baltimore Sun, 21 Feb. 2026
As for the other scribe behind the book, Bennett is penning the new Witchblade reboot and wrote the terrifying graphic novel Mommy Blog, released last year.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
After penning an ode to Minneapolis and making a surprise three-song appearance at First Avenue last month, Bruce Springsteen will kick off a new tour across the street from the venerable Minneapolis nightclub at Target Center.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 17 Feb. 2026
But in this subgenre, Ponthier embraces the role of an outsider, singing lyrics fantastical enough to satisfy sci-fi enthusiasts while penning Gen Z non-binary ballads to cry to.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Scott Hawkins created the story, with Bagley penning the screenplay.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
Emmy-winning Normal People writer Alice Birch is penning The Ministry of Time for TV.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Sybil lives alone and spends her days fountain-penning personal letters and occasional emails that tell the story of her loves, losses, sorrows and deep regrets, through her alternately curmudgeonly and generous-hearted persona.
—Patricia Steckler, Baltimore Sun, 21 Feb. 2026
As for the other scribe behind the book, Bennett is penning the new Witchblade reboot and wrote the terrifying graphic novel Mommy Blog, released last year.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
After penning an ode to Minneapolis and making a surprise three-song appearance at First Avenue last month, Bruce Springsteen will kick off a new tour across the street from the venerable Minneapolis nightclub at Target Center.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 17 Feb. 2026
But in this subgenre, Ponthier embraces the role of an outsider, singing lyrics fantastical enough to satisfy sci-fi enthusiasts while penning Gen Z non-binary ballads to cry to.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Scott Hawkins created the story, with Bagley penning the screenplay.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penning. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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