as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
she deftly harpooned a shrimp with her skewer and held it over the fire
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harpoon
EW.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Companies such as Airbus have worked on nets and harpoons that can wrap around or impale objects in space and bring them back down through the atmosphere.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2024
Wire mesh would then unfold along the harpoon cables, creating a huge parabolic dish.
—Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2024
Bowhead whales have been found with historical whaling harpoons embedded in their blubber, indicating that some individuals were alive during the 19th century.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for harpoon
Noun
But one bad harpoon season means he’s got to double down on those charters.
—EW.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Companies such as Airbus have worked on nets and harpoons that can wrap around or impale objects in space and bring them back down through the atmosphere.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2024
Wire mesh would then unfold along the harpoon cables, creating a huge parabolic dish.
—Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2024
Bowhead whales have been found with historical whaling harpoons embedded in their blubber, indicating that some individuals were alive during the 19th century.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for harpoon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpoon
Verb
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Listen to this article A 58-year-old man was stabbed in the back of his shoulder and bitten on the top of his head while onboard an L train in Brooklyn, police said Friday.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2025
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He is charged with four counts of murder in connection with the brutal stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Like other types of fishing, spearing sturgeon requires special equipment, including spears that look like a cross between a pitchfork and a trident.—
Brian Kaiser,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2025
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One side of the temple is dedicated to Shiva, the god of destruction often depicted as a ferocious figure with a trident in hand, and his worshipers.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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When recovered, the rifle was loaded with high-powered ammunition capable of piercing standard body armor and ready to fire, with the scope caps flipped open, the selector lever set to fire and a round chambered.—
Michael Dorgan,
Fox News,
28 Feb. 2025
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Prosecutors said the rifle was loaded with high-powered ammunition capable of piercing body armor, with the scope caps open, and was ready to fire.—
Jack Date,
ABC News,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Those who serve at the tip of the spear set the tone for everyone else by demonstrating the highest levels of integrity through personal and professional actions.—
Cody Bjugan,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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Then, during the Cold War, US presence expanded exponentially: initially a secret project, the Strategic Air Command base at Thule put Greenland at the tip of the nuclear spear.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But the market has largely taken care of this, puncturing all of the most popular premises entering 2025: U.S. exceptionalism, bearishness on bonds and a belief that the market could broaden in a smooth and painless way.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2025
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Instead of Jimmy Kimmel, a memorable host in the recent past with a keen appreciation for puncturing pretensions, there is Conan O’Brien who, while familiar, remains an unknown quantity in how politically barbed his opening monologue might be.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The retainer then struck her down with a halberd, set the mansion ablaze, and committed seppuku.—
Nicholas Liu,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2024
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Also, his halberd starts fritzing on the floor before fading out of existence, a reminder that this is all virtual reality—or rather, VR within VR, the metatextual framing of Ubisoft’s latest Assassin’s Creed game.—
WIRED,
WIRED,
16 Nov. 2023
Verb
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Pope jabs Vance, criticizes Trump admin for mass deportations Pope Francis denounced the Trump administration's plan to carry out mass deportations of migrants in a letter to U.S. bishops Tuesday, while appearing to take a direct jab at Vice President JD Vance.—
Dan Primack,
Axios,
11 Feb. 2025
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Shortly after the beatdown, video footage leaked online showing the combative artist lying on the ground while being jabbed and stomped.—
Marc Griffin,
VIBE.com,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Vivienne appeared to be having fun with her friend, as she was pictured laughing and sticking her tongue out.—
Effie Orfanides,
Newsweek,
1 Mar. 2025
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That means taking off your shoe and sock and checking for any sign of injury such as any tenderness, swelling, bruising, deformity, laceration or bones sticking through the skin.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpoon. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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