spear 1 of 2

verb

Definition of spearnext
as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object she speared a pea with her fork and angrily flung it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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spear

2 of 2

noun

ˈspir How to pronounce spear (audio)
as in javelin
a weapon with a long straight handle and sharp head or blade the Roman gladiator thrust his spear triumphantly into the lion's side

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 spear
Verb
Jafaar al-Samra had just sold an octopus, minutes after spearing it while snorkeling. — Jane Arraf, NPR, 23 June 2026 But Breakker was there to spear Rollins. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
Noun
The content creator became the tip of the spear in a grassroots campaign to get EA to remove microtransactions from the game entirely, even adopting the hashtag #CFBPlayDontPay. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026 Heavily inspired by Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s 1652 sculpture, The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, depicting an angel piercing the saint’s heart—Your soul woke up in flames from a spear by an angel. — Tina Eves, SPIN, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for spear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spear
  1. stab
  2. javelin
  3. pierce
  4. lance
  5. puncture
  6. jab
  7. pick
  8. stick
Verb
  • DaSilva is then seen approaching a man sitting on an electrical box and is captured making stabbing motions at the man, who ran away and was later found with fatal stab wounds, police say.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • Jordan Harbst, 25, was ambushed and stabbed to death early July 6 while riding a scooter home along the Greenbelt, prosecutors said.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 16 July 2026
Definition of stab
Noun
  • Nebraska's Dyson Wicker won the pole vault at an NCAA-leading 19-2 1/4, and Texas A&M senior Zaza Nnamdi took javelin at 269-10.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 June 2026
  • In the girls field events, South Hadley’s Natalie Rios threw her personal best and achieved third best javelin throw in the state at 125-04.
    — Hannah Hughes, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026
Definition of javelin
Verb
  • According to the artist who made it, John Buckley, and the owner of the home pierced by the shark, Bill Heine, the work was meant as a protest against the recent bombing of Libya, nuclear power and nuclear war, among other things.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
  • Much of the campaign focused on educating beachgoers about the presence of the quirky birds known for their piercing calls and habit of using their razor sharp bills to crack open oysters and mussels.
    — Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of pierce
Noun
  • Bottom cleaners use lances to scrape biofoul off hulls.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • Um dos lances mais bonitos da nossa história.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of lance
Verb
  • Explosions rock Damascus Damascus’ tense post-revolution serenity was punctured on July 2 by the bombing of a café near the Justice Ministry that killed nine people and wounded dozens.
    — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
  • One settler brandished a knife and tried to puncture the tires of CNN’s vehicle.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of puncture
Verb
  • The heron dropped it to jab at it, presumably to kill it for good, then lifted her head up so her bill was pointing skyward, and down the hatch went the whole gopher.
    — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
  • Zverev, who won the French Open and is seeking back-to-back Grand Slam titles, uses an insulin pen when needed to jab the top of his thigh during changeovers on court.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
Definition of jab
Verb
  • Of course, this would depend on whether the managers choose to pick their strongest teams in what for some is a meaningless, even annoying extra fixture, for squads who just want to go home.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • There also is the NBA salary-cap carveout allowing teams to pay second-round picks even less than the minimum-salary scale.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2026
Definition of pick
Verb
  • Hanania is not the sort of person to stick a Science is real sign in his front yard.
    — Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
  • America at 250 seems stuck in a miasma of rival populisms that offer irreconcilable visions for curing what ails our country.
    — Will Marshall, Washington Post, 18 July 2026
Definition of stick

Browse Nearby Words

speak up
spear
spear-carrier
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spear. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spear

Nglish: Translation of spear for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spear

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