as in enclosing
to close or shut in by or as if by barriers
remember to pen up the dogs when visitors come over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 penning
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025
Rowland unexpectedly found a sense of community by penning feel-good fantasy novels.
—Cheyenne Buckingham, SELF, 24 Oct. 2025
With a background in sitcoms, plenty of experience on the live stage and a knack for penning punchy song lyrics, Carpenter is primed to let her comedic side shine Saturday night.
—Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 18 Oct. 2025
Somehow, as the world gets scarier, the writers penning our nightmares still manage to keep up.
—Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Rachel Chinouriri only recently started penning love songs that capture emotions as intense as the ones that show up across her debut album What a Devastating Turn of Events.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
Lori Evans Taylor, who wrote Bloodlines along with Gary Busick, is penning the new script.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
The Happy Days alum has forged a long career in writing children's books, penning numerous New York Times bestsellers including the kids' Hank Zipzer series, which is loosely based on his own life.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
In a conversation with Interview Magazine, the brothers shared the challenge in penning the aforementioned verses.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
Jake is penning Rendering, reporting at the intersection of AI and showbiz alongside our regular TechLine newsletter.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025
Rowland unexpectedly found a sense of community by penning feel-good fantasy novels.
—Cheyenne Buckingham, SELF, 24 Oct. 2025
With a background in sitcoms, plenty of experience on the live stage and a knack for penning punchy song lyrics, Carpenter is primed to let her comedic side shine Saturday night.
—Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 18 Oct. 2025
Somehow, as the world gets scarier, the writers penning our nightmares still manage to keep up.
—Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Rachel Chinouriri only recently started penning love songs that capture emotions as intense as the ones that show up across her debut album What a Devastating Turn of Events.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
Lori Evans Taylor, who wrote Bloodlines along with Gary Busick, is penning the new script.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
The Happy Days alum has forged a long career in writing children's books, penning numerous New York Times bestsellers including the kids' Hank Zipzer series, which is loosely based on his own life.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
In a conversation with Interview Magazine, the brothers shared the challenge in penning the aforementioned verses.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penning. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share