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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of piercing
Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
My piercing call seemed absorbed by the heavy moisture, trapping even the echo I’d been accustomed to hearing.
—Jim Tschetter, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2025
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2026
Even better, Liu does it all while flaunting her signature bleached halo-dye hairstyle and smiley piercing.
—Jasmine Wynn, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Adjective
And on Saturday, another bout with foul trouble left him with a permanently piercing scowl.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
My piercing call seemed absorbed by the heavy moisture, trapping even the echo I’d been accustomed to hearing.
—Jim Tschetter, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
Spotted lanternflies feed on tree sap using piercing mouthparts.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2026
Even better, Liu does it all while flaunting her signature bleached halo-dye hairstyle and smiley piercing.
—Jasmine Wynn, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercing
Adjective
-
The Chill Factor Perhaps the most biting statistic of the season so far is the temperature.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Two sources who attended the party described witnessing a loud verbal exchange between Nick Reiner and his parents.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Miraflores, meanwhile, is also chock-a-block with great shopping and restaurants, though the rush-hour honking gets louder, and various corners have distinctly different feels, from the very commercial to the quaint and old-school.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Olivier’s penetrating eyes say what his words can’t.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Envision, also due for a 2031 launch, will carry an orbital ground-penetrating radar to provide a complete view of Venus from its inner core to its upper atmosphere.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sunny Isles Beach sits on a sandy barrier island, and experts warn that drilling a foundation for a tall building could disturb the foundations of surrounding buildings.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Both lawsuits are seeking to stop drilling plans near the Teshekpuk Lake, which was previously protected under federal regulation.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Stevens pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for fatally stabbing his roommate, 39-year-old Gregory Schroeder, in October 2024 in a Northwest Boise home.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Minneapolis police say a 51-year-old woman is in custody for stabbing a man overnight Wednesday near downtown.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Although its effectiveness as a cure-all hasn’t been entirely confirmed by science, there are a few significant reasons to consider trying this bitter-tasting tea.—
PubSubHub User,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The appearance in northwest Georgia comes weeks after the FBI raided Fulton County’s elections center and seized truckloads of 2020 ballots, reigniting bitter political divides over the president’s attempt to undo his narrow defeat here six years ago.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
From a bungled email prematurely announcing another massive round of layoffs to scrutiny around the company’s $75 million investment in a documentary about the first lady, Amazon heads into its quarterly earnings report next week surrounded by a deafening level of outside noise.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Young’s ending is greeted with a deafening round of applause.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After Clark stepped down on Tuesday because an internal investigation unearthed an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, the union announced on Wednesday that Meyer will take over on an interim basis entering a pivotal year for the future of the sport.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
But then, patients began entering his hospital under the custody of federal immigration agents.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercing. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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