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
The Young Bucks went for a BTE Trigger, but Cope accidentally speared Cage while trying to break it up. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 There are frightening stories of swordfish charging boats, and even spearing their transoms and whacking propellers. — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
Breakker delivered a devastating spear to Evans, leveling him into the barricade. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 Spears and a club The team found a pointed stick and two spears lying close to the antlered skulls of red deer. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 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
  • Their race started off heated again in 2026, with the campaigns trading claims over Bradley’s position on the legislation named for the Ukrainian refugee fatally stabbed on Charlotte’s light rail in 2025.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Nov. 2026
  • On the night of March 31, 2025, Arriaga Guerrero fatally stabbed Erma Adeyemo-Azeez at her apartment complex in the 2600 block of Whisper Meadow Lane in Arlington.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of stab
Noun
  • Yadav won gold and set a record in the men’s F55 javelin at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta.
    — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026
  • His deep ball and his javelin toss can easily clear 50 yards.
    — Ren Clayton, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of javelin
Verb
  • Accumulation of food debris observed on the piercing part of can opener.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Bauer, who was working in uniform, was shot twice — with one of the bullets piercing his heart — during a robbery at Kislak National Bank, 13490 NW Seventh Ave.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of pierce
Noun
  • In the end, director Duong, recognizing Aunt Hanh’s residual indignation, lances that boil.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Additionally, objects of cultural patrimony such as five pairs of moccasins, one coupstick, one Cheyenne cradle board and one lance were returned in the ceremony.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of lance
Verb
  • Like Trouble, Zukenee can lull you into a groove, then puncture that false sense of security with an abrupt shift in tone.
    — Narsimha Gour Chintaluri, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The sullen tribute to Payne settled the room into a cool near-silence, punctured by quiet gasps and muffled crying.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of puncture
Verb
  • The film’s pick-me jabs at humor are frankly, flatly unfunny and grating, twisting the film at times into a perverse, almost self-aware treatise on tweeness.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Rainbow continued to jab the secretary of health as his primary opposition throughout the parody of the Frank Loesser song.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of jab
Verb
  • Voters in Florida, Nevada and Wisconsin also picked their first Black governors while Texans selected their first Latina.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • To be fair to the Falcons, picking Georgia Tech to cover the spread at Pittsburgh was almost as dumb.
    — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of pick
Verb
  • Including one that saw its accelerator pedal getting stuck at max, probably the most dangerous one besides the wheel issue.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • There are relationships stuck in gray areas, career paths that feel like pyramid schemes, nights out that turn into existential crises, parents who just don’t understand.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 6 Nov. 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 8 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spear

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