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as in to slit
to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife)
incised the tree with a sharp ax to get the sap flowing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incise
The coroner ruled Carol’s cause of death as hypovolemia, which is when the plasma is too low from excessive bleeding; multiple stab and incised wounds from a sharp instrument; and a blunt force injury that fractured the skull, according to the coroner’s report.
—
Stephanie Warsmith, USA Today, 8 June 2025
The comedian and political host incised the D.C. affair with one-liners aimed at those in attendance (from their fashion choices to their general decision to show up at all), X owner Elon Musk’s odd/potentially terrifying salute and outgoing POTUS Joe Biden’s down-to-the-wire blanket pardon.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2025
The stick and stone represent yes or no, while the leaf cards, which are specially incised with certain meanings, offer further clarification.
—Michelle Aroney and David Zeitlyn, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Indeed, Ehrlich mines her treasure trove to create jewels imbued with the presence of the past, molding, for example, bronze age Viking bracelets in wax, incising them with enigmatic marks and casting them in 18-karat gold or sterling silver.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for incise
Stephanie Warsmith, USA Today, 8 June 2025
The comedian and political host incised the D.C. affair with one-liners aimed at those in attendance (from their fashion choices to their general decision to show up at all), X owner Elon Musk’s odd/potentially terrifying salute and outgoing POTUS Joe Biden’s down-to-the-wire blanket pardon.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2025
The stick and stone represent yes or no, while the leaf cards, which are specially incised with certain meanings, offer further clarification.
—Michelle Aroney and David Zeitlyn, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Indeed, Ehrlich mines her treasure trove to create jewels imbued with the presence of the past, molding, for example, bronze age Viking bracelets in wax, incising them with enigmatic marks and casting them in 18-karat gold or sterling silver.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for incise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incise
Verb
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In addition to keeping an eye on your water temperature, the risk of etching can be reduced by using a gentle dish detergent.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
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Schaub etched his name in Texans history as the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards (23,221) and passing touchdowns (124).—
Sam Warren,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Always be willing to make a friend and slit their throat.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
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In their final meeting, Spire took his former teammate for help after McCarthy slit his wrist.—
Graham Womack
Updated January 15,
Sacbee.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As part of the proposal, Watkins gave Johnson a piece of wood inscribed with Taylor Swift lyrics.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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Key Background The iconic diamond was originally a gift from Mughal emperor Shah Jahangir, who ruled from 1605 to 1627, to his wife Nur Jahan, whose name is inscribed on the pendant’s surface.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Using single-cell RNA data from four additional mouse brains — including ones from male or female mice, and ones sliced from left to right or front to back — CellTransformer produced similar maps.—
Amber Dance,
Quanta Magazine,
9 Feb. 2026
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And then there's Reinhardt's sinister robot sidekick Maximilian, a silent, malevolent presence who has no qualms about slicing up humans with his Swiss Army Knife-esque collection of torture devices.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The necklace features a ruby on one side—representing Camilla’s July birthstone—and on the other side, the initials of her five grandchildren are engraved.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
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The center is engraved in a pattern of undulating rays emanating from the hour and minute guichets (windows), meant to resemble the edges of clouds pierced through with sunlight.—
Carol Besler,
Robb Report,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Of the 605 sites where a multiagency state and federal task force ripped out illicit cannabis plants, roughly 9% were on public lands — up from an average of 3% to 4%.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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The footage also shows the person holding a flashlight in their mouth and trying to cover the camera with a gloved hand and part of a plant ripped from the yard.—
Hallie Golden,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hašek and Tomáš Vokoun are the clear top two all-time, but Petr Mrázek, Ondřej Pavelec, Roman Turek, Michal Neuvirth and Roman Cechmánek all carved out impressive NHL careers.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The downhill was already one of the signature events of Alpine skiing, a can’t-look-away showcase as women carve down mountains, around curves and over jumps, pushing 80 mph.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Just as the trial for Samuel Patrick Groft was about to kick off, the 45-year-old instead pleaded no contest Wednesday to a slew of vandalism charges stemming from the seven-day slashing rampage.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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And boosting, not slashing, anti-hunger programs.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incise. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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