1
as in piercing
to make a hole or series of holes in
a nail punctured the tire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stabbing
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
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Recent Examples of puncturing
The tactic has become more popular with smugglers as police on the beaches try to thwart crossings by puncturing the rafts that groups of migrants have to inflate and carry to the water.
—
ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Iranian strikes on the city now appear to be puncturing the cycle, putting pressure on residential and commercial property prices — and on the people whose jobs depend on them.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Wi-Fi 7's puncturing capability is designed to isolate the interference, enabling devices to use the remainder of the channel.
—Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Riachi created the custom travertine fireplace with a walnut surround, puncturing it with vertical openings and linear alabaster wall sconces to echo the screens in the entrance hall.
—Amy Bradford, Architectural Digest, 29 Mar. 2026
Production quirks like volume and pitch changes, multiple beat switches, brash sonic redirections punctuated by everything from samples of glass shattering to synth stabs puncturing through sheaths of filters, make for a kind of chaotic symphony that feels deliriously of the moment.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
Traditionally, Oscars hosts have been at their best when puncturing the pretensions of the stars in attendance, but for the most part, host Conan O’Brien bought into their sense of their own righteousness.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
According to a February 2025 indictment, the five soldiers beat the man, dragging him across the floor, stepping on his body, breaking his ribs and puncturing a lung.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The tree was left in pieces, with one portion puncturing the roof of the school and another crushing a fence.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Iranian strikes on the city now appear to be puncturing the cycle, putting pressure on residential and commercial property prices — and on the people whose jobs depend on them.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Wi-Fi 7's puncturing capability is designed to isolate the interference, enabling devices to use the remainder of the channel.
—Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Riachi created the custom travertine fireplace with a walnut surround, puncturing it with vertical openings and linear alabaster wall sconces to echo the screens in the entrance hall.
—Amy Bradford, Architectural Digest, 29 Mar. 2026
Production quirks like volume and pitch changes, multiple beat switches, brash sonic redirections punctuated by everything from samples of glass shattering to synth stabs puncturing through sheaths of filters, make for a kind of chaotic symphony that feels deliriously of the moment.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
Traditionally, Oscars hosts have been at their best when puncturing the pretensions of the stars in attendance, but for the most part, host Conan O’Brien bought into their sense of their own righteousness.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
According to a February 2025 indictment, the five soldiers beat the man, dragging him across the floor, stepping on his body, breaking his ribs and puncturing a lung.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The tree was left in pieces, with one portion puncturing the roof of the school and another crushing a fence.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puncturing
Verb
-
Darker than silver but not quite as piercing as solid black, black cat-eye tips are edgy and mesmerizing.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Here is an example of a piercing forward run and crisp finish down that side from that fateful afternoon against Granada, not shying away from putting his weaker foot through the ball with the angle closing down.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Police were called to the area by witnesses who reported a woman was actively stabbing a man.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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Delisle pleaded guilty to stabbing his father in April 2025 and lighting the family’s mobile home on fire in the 1000 block of 3rd Street North, according to a judgment of conviction.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What’s wrong with drilling oil companies?—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
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As far as drilling a ceramic pot goes, the process is just a bit more involved.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For a piece in this week’s issue, Dhruv Khullar, a practicing physician and a contributing writer, investigated this growing industry, speaking to the doctors who are tinkering with compounds and the users gamely jabbing themselves in a quest for self-optimization.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
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Where their debut roars, jabbing with hooks, Two Wheels Move the Soul instead inverts the noise until the sound becomes pillowy and comforting.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Earlier on Tuesday, the rapper was accused in a new lawsuit of punching a man two years ago at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
15 Apr. 2026
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Surveillance video shown to CBS News Philadelphia shows the suspect repeatedly punching Ballou.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Israel has been hunting him and his comrades, picking them off by airstrike and drone, in surprise attacks that often kill civilians alongside them.—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
12 Apr. 2026
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For a bouquet of two dozen daffodils each week of daffodil season, Shickasheen offers picking passes at $35 per person.—
Catherine Messier,
The Providence Journal,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For his part, Anderson possessed a wry sense of humor and wasn’t above poking fun at himself.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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This second season is once again poking at inertia and stasis and how romantic relationships can crumble into a series of self-destructive choices.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Oil the pan Use a neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil) to prevent sticking and encourage browning.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Try sticking your head to that.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puncturing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puncturing. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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