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
The reason for the closure is that ice chunks, sheets and spears that are falling off the bridge have damaged vehicles in the past. Paula Wethington, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026 Peering through the grating of a six-foot fence, Marjoleine and I could see the first brave apple blossoms, red spears of rhubarb, and compost piles, some neat, most unruly. Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026 This includes, but is not limited to baseball bats, hockey sticks, spears, spear guns, crossbows, and fishing gear. Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 30 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 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
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
  • The flowers and ferns of the Mani hills—purple spears, white arrows, feathery javelins—slowly flatten into the horizon.
    Antonia Quirke, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 May 2024
Verb
  • Bautista stabs and shoots his assailants in an operatic eruption of violence that is done in a single, extended shot.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Sometimes, in the schoolyard picks before scrimmages, Bird wasn’t selected at all.
    Keith O'Brien, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2026
  • These picks make getting ready for bed feel like a part of the itinerary.
    Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 22 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
  • Because of the way the director works, emotions tend to be more discussed than felt, although there’s something about Carla’s desperation that pierces through all the soberness.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 17 Feb. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Heathcliff sticks his fingers in a broken egg, Cathy watches her servants enjoying a BDSM moment in the stables while Heathcliff covers her mouth and eyes.
    Meg Walters, Glamour, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Progress sticks when compassion ensures that everyone gets heard.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • In another moment, long-time rivals Jett and Mane exchange jabs against one another over a livestream as thousands of roarball fans tune in and cheer them on in the comments.
    Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Srinivas, who often jabs the search engine giant, made an interesting point.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spears. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.

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