1
as in to pierce
to make a hole or series of holes in
a nail punctured the tire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
I could never puncture my own skin with a hypodermic needle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of puncture
Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
An infection can occur from a puncture wound, and the disease can persist through weeks of medical care.
—Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025
Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
The knife had punctured his lung.
—Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for puncture
Noun
The exterior is ultra-durable and made with puncture-resistant nylon with a TPU coating that’s also waterproof, and its ergonomic design is shockingly comfortable.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
An infection can occur from a puncture wound, and the disease can persist through weeks of medical care.
—Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025
Verb
Testing is also challenging, as finding a leak requires puncturing the spinal canal, which can create new leaks.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
The knife had punctured his lung.
—Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for puncture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puncture
Verb
-
Bird by Bird is generous, charming, and quietly piercing.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
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Author Ta-Nehisi Coates, an 8-year-old in West Baltimore at the time of the murder, offers piercing commentary on the impact of both the initial crime and the succeeding one, the grievously unjust trial that put three kids in the penitentiary.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The stabbing death of former NFL defensive lineman Kevin Johnson could be linked to a series of homicides, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said on Tuesday.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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The brother survived the shot, but died after Thompson took a knife and stabbed him 57 times, mostly in the neck area.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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With a light snow falling outside McCamish Pavilion, Henri Veesaar gave North Carolina (17-4, 5-3 ACC) a devastating 1-2 punch on the inside with 20 points and 12 rebounds.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
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Located just 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver, Cypress Mountain is more of a commuter hill than a destination resort, but its terrain punches well above its weight.—
Brent Rose,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Carter also drilled two 3-pointers and did a little bit of everything while racking up seven rebounds, three assists and a steal.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
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With five seconds to play before the break, Madden drilled a three-pointer from distance, providing the Hawks a 28-25 lead at intermission.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But the Aztecs had a counterpunch for every Cowboys jab – a Miles Byrd drive that drew two free throws, a jump hook off the glass from Pharaoh Compton, a 3 from Magoon Gwath, a 3 from Taj DeGourville , a jumper in traffic from Dixon-Waters.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
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Others stuck flagpoles through an open passenger-side window, appearing to jab the suspect.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Things got worse to start this season, though, as McCain underwent surgery to repair a tear in the UCL in his right thumb, forcing him to miss more time on the court.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Vonn even raced in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi with an ACL tear.—
Outside,
Outside,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Jacksonville incident poked at the tension.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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The Stars pulled even when Nils Lundkvist poked a rebound past Hellebuyck on a shot from Duchene with five minutes left in the second period.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Then, later that week while playing pick-up basketball, his season came crashing down.—
Marielle Mohs,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Add 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and 2 small sprigs thyme, leaves picked, and cook, stirring often, until radicchio is softened and wilted, 5–8 minutes.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puncture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puncture. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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