1
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
that light sweater will be no match for the piercing wind outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in loud
marked by a high volume of sound
the frightened child emitted a piercing shriek that could be heard all over the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in penetrating
to go or come in or into
thoughts of revenge relentlessly pierced her mind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drilling
to make a hole or series of holes in
pierced his ears with a needle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stabbing
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 piercing
Kristy Alpert, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025
And somehow, though a mother’s grief has got to be the most piercing emotion in the world, what Mescal tells us about a man’s grief ends up having more weight.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 Nov. 2025
Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
New video captured the horrifying moment a Florida police officer’s body camera stopped a bullet from piercing his chest while conducting a routine investigation last month.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Adjective
Its piercing alarm is activated with the simple press of a button, which also turns on flashing strobe lights.
—Kristy Alpert, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025
And somehow, though a mother’s grief has got to be the most piercing emotion in the world, what Mescal tells us about a man’s grief ends up having more weight.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 Nov. 2025
Verb
The shortstop broke his bat on one pitch and a shard hit teammate Steve Yeager in the on-deck circle, piercing the catcher’s throat.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
New video captured the horrifying moment a Florida police officer’s body camera stopped a bullet from piercing his chest while conducting a routine investigation last month.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercing
Adjective
-
Netflix’s big comedy bet might be the Dan Levy–Rachel Sennott co-creation Big Mistakes; the biting, farcical series about adult siblings who get caught up in the drug business plays like Weeds crossed with The Other Two.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
-
The tracks are more vulnerable, biting, and self-aware than ever, and in some cases, feature lyrics pulled right out of Hjelt’s diary.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One of the loudest cheers came when Canadian soccer star Christine Sinclair was shown on the video board.—
Ian Harrison,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
He was pulled for lefty Tyler Samaniego and walked off the mound to loud boos from the Fenway Park crowd.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Sheriff’s deputies even used ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs to search Ruben Flores’ Arroyo Grande property in 2021.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
Susan Flores’ Arroyo Grande home has been searched multiple times during the 30-year investigation, but Parkinson said there have since been advances in the soil science and the ground-penetrating radar investigators are now using to scour the property.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Brown declared, pulling a handle that started drilling the first hole of soil tests for a subway that planners estimated could be built in just three years.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
For producers, prices were high enough to turn a profit but not high enough to justify sending a bunch of drilling rigs out to boost production.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The man was later convicted of stabbing his girlfriend and is serving 15 years in prison for the attack.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Preliminary information indicated the stabbing victim may have been mistaken for another person, police said.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
During Chicago’s bitter winter of 2013-2014, the Humboldt Park Lagoon froze over, and snow piled on top of the thick layer of ice, plunging vegetation into a deadly darkness.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
Blake Lively agreed to settle her retaliation lawsuit against Justin Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios, dodging a trial over the bitter Hollywood feud weeks before it was set to begin and bringing an end to a conflict that has sparked widespread interest for nearly two years.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The stirring of the home supporters by Rowe, however, made the sound of silence more deafening in the final minute.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Records say the sound created a deafening roar across Copenhagen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Before entering high school, Andrew’s Sean Gagen had a choice to make.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
The 6-8 Barlow, who averaged just under nine postseason minutes per game off the bench entering Game 2, totaled 16 minutes Wednesday.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercing. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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