PIERCES Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

pierces

verb

present tense third-person singular of pierce

as in penetrates

to go or come in or into thoughts of revenge relentlessly pierced her mind

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in drills

to make a hole or series of holes in pierced his ears with a needle

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stabs

to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object the saber pierced his chest, releasing a spurt of blood

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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 pierces An ice sculpture of a heart includes a tube through the ice arrow that pierces the heart. — Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 10 July 2026 And who the f--- pierces a 12 year old? — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026 Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear. — Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026 Piercing the Stones mythology Spitz’s deep reporting often pierces the mythology surrounding the band. — Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 Its 1959 Googie-style sign pierces the sky, a beacon of hope for weary road-trippers cruising this achingly lonely stretch of highway. — Zoey Goto, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2026 Lower the heat to medium-high and cook, gently stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and a paring knife easily pierces a potato, about 15 minutes. — C.w. Cameron, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026 Because of the way the director works, emotions tend to be more discussed than felt, although there’s something about Carla’s desperation that pierces through all the soberness. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026 Nothing that pierces the skin should ever be used as leverage over a child's opportunity to education and to learn. — CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pierces

Verb

Make sure water penetrates to the deep roots in addition to wetting surface roots.

— Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Near-infrared light (around 830 nm) penetrates even deeper, affecting fibroblasts, circulation, and tissue repair, and is frequently paired with red light for greater benefits than either alone.

— Pooja Mistry, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of penetrates

Verb

These plays are happening during individual coverage and limited-contact team drills.

— Mike Kaye August 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 Aug. 2026
Allen’s recent emergence had fans wondering Saturday why Allen was working special teams drills at all, given his potential impact at receiver this season.

— Jesse Newell, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of drills

Verb

Before a module enters the pit, technicians must integrate three heavy components into a single unit inside the Assembly Hall.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 30 July 2026
As training camps fire up across the league, Hill enters free agency as an intriguing wild card.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of enters

Verb

And if the pizza isn’t enticing enough, Urban Cowboy’s cocktail program punches far above its weight class.

— Beth Rankin, Denver Post, 27 July 2026
As the officer is pinned down, one person repeatedly punches her in the head while another appears to strike her with an unidentified object before a second officer intervenes.

— Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of punches

Verb

That’s because when a snake bites and punctures the skin and transfers venom into the victim’s body, the venom attacks the skin, soft tissue and connective tissue beneath it.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
If a foreign object punctures the tread or sidewall, your tire can deflate slowly or quickly, depending on the puncture.

— Jason Fogelson, AJC.com, 29 May 2026

Definition of punctures

Verb

The comparison is imperfect because a computer is a physical asset while a ChatGPT user accesses software through an existing phone or computer.

— Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
SerpApi accesses public search results, not Reddit’s platform, and public information does not become protected because a platform wants to charge for it.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

Definition of accesses

Verb

Upgrade a Laundry Room Vent holes in a laundry room might call to mind a traditional airing cupboard, but perhaps counterintuitively, that term actually refers to a heated cupboard for keeping towels dry rather than one in which air freely circulates.

— Monika Biegler Eyers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2026
Caulk holes around plumbing and sewer lines where roaches are likely to enter.

— Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 4 June 2026

Definition of holes

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“Pierces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pierces. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of pierces

verb

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