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
Dwight Garner, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Only Jean-Baptiste could make such a screed so funny, so piercing and so devastating.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2025
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2025
Stephan Winkelmann, the CEO of Lamborghini, said customers are demanding piercing V12s and V8s in their garages, forcing him to cancel the company's plan to build all-electric supercars and SUVs.
—Morgan Korn, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Adjective
What spooks Vara is that A.I. writes what are possibly her essay’s most piercing lines.
—Dwight Garner, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Only Jean-Baptiste could make such a screed so funny, so piercing and so devastating.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
These door stops come in a pack of two and hit 120 ear-piercing decibels when triggered.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2025
Stephan Winkelmann, the CEO of Lamborghini, said customers are demanding piercing V12s and V8s in their garages, forcing him to cancel the company's plan to build all-electric supercars and SUVs.
—Morgan Korn, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercing
Adjective
-
The characters have this sharp, biting, British humor.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
-
The commercial realities of hosting a network television show seem to preclude the biting and incisive commentary, and boundary-pushing humor, for which audiences have turned to YouTube and podcasts.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This discourse only got louder during minicamp when he was called out for his physical appearance and route running.—
Kevin McCormick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
-
As Anisimova kept making things close again, and the crowd kept getting loud, Sabalenka reminded herself to focus on herself.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Coppola asks a few penetrating questions.—
Caryn James,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Furthermore, the low abundance of water vapor in the coma of 3I/ATLAS could indicate that there is something within the comet that is inhibiting heat from penetrating the icy core of the comet.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Renewed federal support for drilling in the US, combined with languid global oil demand and increasing drilling by OPEC countries, has pushed oil prices to their lowest level since the pandemic.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
To fill out context, development costs in 2020 for drilling production and injection wells and production facilities lie in a range of $3 - $5 billion in GOA.—
Ian Dexter Palmer,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The video shows Brown seated behind the victim before pulling out a folding knife and stabbing her multiple times without provocation.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Around four minutes later, the man pulls out a knife and begins stabbing Zarutska three times, including at least once in the neck.—
Bradford Betz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Creative differences led to a bitter falling out between Davies and Hodgson, who left the band in 1983.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
-
But to have the season’s only returning houseguest exit on a twist like this, and not even from gameplay, social standing or an eviction vote leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, to say the least.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Rothrock, a Seattle native, made it 3-0 five minutes later, drawing a deafening ovation from the home crowd.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Visitors will come face-to-face with Leatherface and the deranged Sawyer family amid the deafening roar of chainsaws in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre haunted house.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The recent acquisitions of Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have boosted the 49ers’ depth, but Jennings is their most accomplished wide receiver target entering the season, especially on tough, third-down throws.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Seek professional review or inspection of structures and utilities before entering buildings that are flooded.—
Staff reports,
AZCentral.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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