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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
His ideas are later used to discourage violently spearing food with a knife, and instead promote the pacifist chopstick. — New York Times, 17 July 2026 Blackberries make beautiful garnishes, especially when speared with a rosemary sprig. — Anna Kovel, Martha Stewart, 10 July 2026
Noun
Florida State’s band completed its pregame festivities, including Chief Osceola’s planting the spear atop Renegade at midfield after the coin toss. — David Ubben, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 What mattered was that the project ignored the fact that a ship is nothing but the tip of a very long logistical, regulatory, and infrastructure spear. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 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
  • Dydzuhn was punched and stabbed, and suffered severe cuts and damage to one of her eyes, according to NBC Miami.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Whatley invoked the name of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian refugee fatally stabbed on Charlotte’s Blue Line light rail in 2025.
    — Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of stab
Noun
  • His deep ball and his javelin toss can easily clear 50 yards.
    — Ren Clayton, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The feeling came again when Wright, who played hockey, netball, tennis and javelin at county level in her teens, turned her hand to rugby.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of javelin
Verb
  • In 1998, while a student at Gordonstoun, Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall (née Phillips), shocked the nation by getting her tongue pierced at a tattoo parlour in Moray, Scotland.
    — Eva Wolchover, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
  • This pest injures the host plant by using its piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant sap.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of pierce
Noun
  • 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
  • As for the Speed, the museum returned three ceremonial objects (a rattle, a beaded pipe bag, and a beaded turtle amulet) and 21 other items, among them beaded pouches and bags, moccasins, a coup stick, a cradleboard, and a lance.
    — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of lance
Verb
  • For especially delicate foods, make sure the toothpicks are secure and don’t touch anything that could be punctured or contaminated.
    — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The needle accidentally punctured Taylor’s lung, causing chest pain and difficulty breathing.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of puncture
Verb
  • At the tail end of their time on stage, the former castmates took the opportunity to jab at the Buffy revival’s cancellation earlier this year.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Rather than immediately running toward his destination on the opposite side of the field, Jefferson jabs at the defender to create even more separation.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of jab
Verb
  • Sherrill picked Caldwell as her running mate in July 2025 and named him as her administration’s secretary of state in December 2025 after the pair won their November election by a double-digit margin.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Joe says picking Katie is either going to work out great for them or backfire.
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of pick
Verb
  • But as a viewer, at least, watching American Horror Story feels more than ever like being stuck in some sort of hell.
    — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2026
  • If you have ever been stuck in traffic wishing your car could sprout wings, Samson Sky has been working on something pretty close.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 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 27 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spear

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spear

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