1
as in to penetrate
to go or come in or into
thoughts of revenge relentlessly pierced her mind
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in
pierced his ears with a needle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
the saber pierced his chest, releasing a spurt of blood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pierce
From the rear, the arrow would pierce a lung or maybe the heart.
—
Mike Combs, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2025
The Environmental Compliance division handles programs for waste, water and hazardous materials storage, while the Environmental Health division handles food safety, regulates piercing and tattooing, manages noise complaints and more.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 15 June 2025
Additional components at the pop-up included complimentary champagne, a piercing station, and a custom photobooth.
—Essence, 9 June 2025
Deputy District Attorney Miriam Hemming said the knife fractured the victim’s sternum, pierced his lung and severed an artery, nearly causing the man to bleed out.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pierce
Mike Combs, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2025
The Environmental Compliance division handles programs for waste, water and hazardous materials storage, while the Environmental Health division handles food safety, regulates piercing and tattooing, manages noise complaints and more.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 15 June 2025
Additional components at the pop-up included complimentary champagne, a piercing station, and a custom photobooth.
—Essence, 9 June 2025
Deputy District Attorney Miriam Hemming said the knife fractured the victim’s sternum, pierced his lung and severed an artery, nearly causing the man to bleed out.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pierce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pierce
Verb
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The 12-Day War saw Israeli fighters penetrate deep inside Iranian airspace with little to no resistance, including non-stealthy fourth-generation fighters like F-16s.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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According to its manufacturer, Boeing, the Harpoon Block II missile is armed with a 500-pound penetrating high-explosive warhead and is capable of striking ships more than 77 miles away.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Trump also wrote on social media calling on the Department of Energy to drill quickly.—
Rachel Frazin,
The Hill,
23 June 2025
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There was Ben Sheppard drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the key as the third quarter expired that nearly blew the roof off the Fieldhouse.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Police are investigating after three people were stabbed at a beach in New London on Sunday.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 June 2025
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One such fatwa was the one issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the previous supreme leader, against author Salman Rushdie, who was stabbed multiple times at the Chautauqua Institution in southwestern New York in 2022.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
30 June 2025
Verb
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And timely hitting made the difference against the Chanticleers, who entered the weekend on a 26-game winning streak.—
Mitch Sherman,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
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Refrain from entering water that might carry an electric current and avoid walking through floodwaters.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
22 June 2025
Verb
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On the witness stand, Ventura described Combs stomping on her face in the back of an Escalade in 2009 and kicking and punching her repeatedly over the years.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2025
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Following this method ensures deer make it into the plot before dark, which is an obvious prerequisite to punching a tag.—
Josh Honeycutt,
Outdoor Life,
26 June 2025
Verb
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At his best, Towns shoots like an archer, drives to the hoop like a rugby bruiser, and glides on his pivot foot, one smooth semicircle after another, like a grade-school protractor with its point puncturing the paper.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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The dura can be damaged from head injuries or punctured during surgical procedures involving the sinuses, brain or spine, such as lumbar puncture, epidurals, spinal anesthesia or myelogram.—
Danielle Wilhour,
The Conversation,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Catalog how remote, hybrid and on-site users access SaaS, cloud and on-premises apps.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Users retain control over who can access their personal information—and when.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Johnson immediately returned to social media Wednesday night to post a series of rambling videos discussing his arrest and seemingly poking at Rogan without addressing him directly.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2025
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Progress with Canada has been a roller coaster, with the U.S. president poking at the nation’s northern neighbor and repeatedly suggesting it would be absorbed as a U.S. state.—
Michelle L. Price,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pierce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pierce. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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