spears 1 of 2

Definition of spearsnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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spears

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spear

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
Using tools only of stone, bone, and shell, Islanders made wooden spears and clubs, and canoes built from planks stitched together with plant fibers and fitted with outriggers. Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026 Other examples of ancient wooden tools include a set of spears from Germany and 300,000-year-old Chinese digging sticks that may have been used to harvest plants. Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026 Other examples of ancient wooden tools include a set of spears from Germany and 300,000-year-old Chinese digging sticks that may have been used to harvest plants. Adithi Ramakrishnan, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026 To say that ranch is popular is an understatement because Americans love the tangy taste on everything from chips to pickle spears to shrimp. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 2026 Yiyoguaje sported a spectacular headdress of layered feathers that cascaded down his back, blue and pink, green and yellow, topped by three long macaw feathers standing up like spears. Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026 Ice chunks, sheets and spears that fall hundreds of feet have damaged vehicles and have the potential to injure or kill motorists. Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 9 Jan. 2026 Yet when boiled, the sap turned black and could be used as poison on the tips of darts and spears. Noah Lederman, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2026 Researchers from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, in collaboration with the Museum of the First Piasts at Lednica, found the spears. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spears
Noun
  • 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
  • Maria had told us how the cove would have filled with the canoes of the next tribe over, the warriors tattooed head to toe and carrying javelins.
    Peter Heller, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2024
Verb
  • Milo tries to be a hero, trying to use pepper spray on Morgan, but Morgan stabs and kills him.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Percy, now carrying the Golden Fleece, runs toward the elevator, but Luke stabs him through the closing doors.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Warhorses charge, lances down, crashing through the tilts as lances break on shields and men topple from their steeds.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.
    David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Nnaji and picks for Jones might sound pretty nice to Denver fans, but basketball reasons aside, why would the Magic agree to that when its goal would also be to decrease payroll?
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
  • The three-team deal included the Chicago Bulls, who received veteran Dario Saric and future second-round draft picks from Sacramento and Cleveland.
    HECTOR AMEZCUA, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But Anderson punctures his weed haze with the bright light of a past that in actuality never dimmed, when Lockjaw begins to hunt Pat and Willa.
    Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
  • Recounting his visit with Shelton’s body after she’d been taken off of life support in From Bleak to Dark, Maron punctures the somber scene with a joke about taking a selfie.
    Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Nothing that pierces the skin should ever be used as leverage over a child's opportunity to education and to learn.
    CBS News, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
  • Nicole Kidman's stare pierces the room.
    Jennifer Brett, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Barb appears, and sticks the device in Hank’s neck, pulling out the fusion chip.
    Jack King, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Sir Jimmy sticks a knife in Kelson, which turns out to be a mortal wound, but Spike and Kelly (Erin Kellyman) – aka Jimmy Ink – attack Sir Jimmy.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Srinivas, who often jabs the search engine giant, made an interesting point.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Haggard jabs Baird over mailers The race is already tense.
    Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spears. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

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