Thesaurus results for SPEARS

spears 1 of 2

noun

plural of spear

as in javelins

a weapon with a long straight handle and sharp head or blade the Roman gladiator thrust his spear triumphantly into the lion's side

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spears

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spear

as in stabs

to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object she speared a pea with her fork and angrily flung it

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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 spears

Noun

Young boys, some no older than five or six, showed off their marksmanship by throwing reeds like spears with perfect accuracy, and the men demonstrated their precision with bow and arrow. —

Literary Hub, 11 June 2026 Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that takes a few years to produce edible spears. —

Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 May 2026 According to writings from the time, in one game, women dressed as the goddess Diana and used spears to fight vicious boars across the arena floor. —

Taylor Mitchell Brown, Scientific American, 19 May 2026 The finish came when Rollins nearly secured a victory but met his end after a pair of rib-splitting spears. —

Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026 The farmers—many barefoot, carrying a melange of machetes, spears, and old guns—lay in wait. —

Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026 Smashing the spears with a rolling pin and dressing them in lemon and olive oil magically tenderizes the otherwise tough veg. —

Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026 Pão de queijo, as moreish as popcorn, manioc gnocchi, rock-pool sea urchins and Tainha fish, caught by local fishermen who still use traditional canoes and spears, are all served on banana leaves on a wooden table outdoors. —

Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026 That means fresh and tender asparagus spears, crunchy snap pea pods, and spicy radishes are in season. —

Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026

Verb

The midfielder spears an accurate long ball to Yildiz, setting him away into the box. —

Thom Harris, New York Times, 5 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spears

Noun

Humans have been throwing javelins for a few hundred thousand years, yet performance has largely plateaued.

— R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
The Tofinu took refuge in the lagoons along the Bight of Benin, a core area of the slave trade, venturing forth in canoes with harpoons, javelins, and swords to fight off raiders from powerful nearby kingdoms.

— Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026