pierced; piercing
1
a
: to run into or through as a pointed weapon does : stab
b
: to enter or thrust into sharply or painfully
2
: to make a hole through : perforate
3
: to force or make a way into or through
4
: to penetrate with the eye or mind : discern
5
: to penetrate so as to move or touch the emotions of
: to force a way into or through something
piercer
noun
Examples of pierce in a Sentence
The needle pierced her skin.
The bullet pierced his lung.
The needle pierced into her skin.
The bullet pierced through his lung.
A scream pierced the silence.
Recent Examples on the Web
According to court records, one of the bullets pierced the digital display of the cash register, shattering glass and plastic and causing injuries to the owner’s face, eye, hand and stomach.
—
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
Loud Sound Reduction is another nice-to-have perk carried over from the AirPods Pro series, letting the headphones reduce the severity of sirens, construction and other ear-piercing sounds.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
When a medic advised him that the cut would need stitches, Green suggested piercing the bandage up with a stud — or, alternatively, throwing some Elmer’s glue on it.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
When the medic suggested stitches, Green suggested piercing the bandage up with a stud — or throwing some Elmer’s glue on it.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pierce
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Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
Loud Sound Reduction is another nice-to-have perk carried over from the AirPods Pro series, letting the headphones reduce the severity of sirens, construction and other ear-piercing sounds.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
When a medic advised him that the cut would need stitches, Green suggested piercing the bandage up with a stud — or, alternatively, throwing some Elmer’s glue on it.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
When the medic suggested stitches, Green suggested piercing the bandage up with a stud — or throwing some Elmer’s glue on it.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pierce
Cite this Entry
“Pierce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pierce. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pierce
verb
pierced; piercing
1
a
: to run into or through as a pointed weapon does : stab
b
: to enter or thrust into sharply or painfully
2
: to make a hole in or through
have one's ears pierced
3
: to force or make a way into or through
pierce the enemy's line
4
: to penetrate with the eye or mind : see through
5
: to stir the emotions of : move
piercer
noun
Legal Definition
pierce
transitive verb
pierced; piercing
: to see through the usually misleading or false appearance of
the object of summary judgment is to pierce the pleadings and allow a judgment on the merits—J. H. Friedenthal et al.
J. H. Friedenthal et al.the Internal Revenue Service may attempt to pierce the plain meaning of the agreement—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.Biographical Definition
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