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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In 2010, a kayaker in the Florida Keys had her lung punctured when a fish leapt out of the water and stabbed her in the back.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
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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The irreplaceable power of human relationships — of teacher-student trust — must remain central, especially as AI enters the classroom.—
C.M. Rubin,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
Scott discusses what could be behind that decision, coming as the Cavs enter 2025-26 with the second-strongest NBA championship odds.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
1 July 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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The 48-year-old father of three Marines was working a landscaping job when he was approached – before officers subdued Barranco and punched him multiple times in the back of the head, footage shows Barranco running while holding a weedwacker.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
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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The second bedroom, meanwhile, is accessed by a wooden ladder and again has space for a double bed.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 June 2025
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Aflac, which provides home and life insurance for more than 50 million policyholders, disclosed last week that cybercriminals were able to breach the company’s U.S. network and may have accessed customers’ personal data including Social Security numbers.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
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 8 Jul. 2025.
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