puncture 1 of 2

noun

ˈpəŋk-chər How to pronounce puncture (audio)
Definition of puncturenext
as in prick
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument a leak caused by several small punctures in the rubber gasket

Synonyms & Similar Words

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puncture

2 of 2

verb

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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of puncture
Noun
Photos shared by the family show Claire Macdonel's hand covered in cuts and puncture wounds shortly after the bite. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 Eight hours of stitching to close all the puncture wounds and tears followed. — Todd Orr, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026
Verb
One appeared to be punctured, while another had been entirely broken from its base, a Sacramento Bee reporter observed Friday. — Haley Parsley august 22, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 2026 The barrel had been punctured several times and dumped far offshore, Spencer said, but whoever discarded the remains likely never imagined the reservoir’s shoreline would one day retract hundreds of feet. — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for puncture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puncture
  1. punch
  2. pierce
  3. stab
  4. tear
  5. drill
  6. jab
  7. perforation
  8. poke
Noun
  • This warm and spicy perfume is the perfect transitional scent for the season, with a fruity punch that still feels fresh enough for late summer.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Mazda has a reputation for making affordable cars that still pack a punch, and the Mazda3 is no exception.
    — Keith Laing, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of punch
Verb
  • Still, traces of background radioactivity sometimes break the subterranean silence, with that activity piercing through LZ’s mile of protective bedrock or even seeping out of the materials lining the detector’s walls.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The bullet pierced the restaurant glass and left a diner with a minor injury.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of pierce
Verb
  • She had been beaten and stabbed inside her home, and her body was then placed in the trunk of her car.
    — Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The 33-year-old man accused of killing his mother in their family’s apartment had stabbed his parent repeatedly in the face and chest, Bronx prosecutors said Friday.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of stab
Noun
  • Speaking through tears on stage at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday night, Grande expressed her heartfelt gratitude to her legions of fans.
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Her little lips were moving and there were no tears in her eyes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of tear
Verb
  • Scheduled for late 2026, Ceres will drill the world’s first commercial-scale superhot horizontal wells, bringing subterranean power one step closer to the grid.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
  • After getting sick, Kimbrel threw one pitch and drilled Miami’s Kyle Stowers in the foot.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of drill
Verb
  • To explain this thinking, Lee jabs the New York Mets amid their disappointing MLB season.
    — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In historical terms, this drought is far from their longest, but no team has won the Premier League more times than them (13), and limbo jabs at a leviathan.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of jab
Noun
  • The marketing speak simply means that the seat cushion features a soft foam layer on top of a firm base, with tiny perforations that let heat escape.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike air fryers, which have a basket with perforations that allows air to circulate around the food, a convection oven usually requires placing your food on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan for cooking.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of perforation
Verb
  • Polymarket dropped him like a hot potato, though, once the CFTC began poking into his suspicious Kalshi bets.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Seething at his dad for poking at his body insecurities, the comedian dealt with his emotions like any good millennial — by podcasting about it.
    — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of poke

Browse Nearby Words

punctuating
puncture
punctured
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Puncture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puncture. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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