as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
an icy, penetrating rain that made you feel really miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in accessing
to go or come in or into
a needle penetrated the heavy canvas only with great effort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of penetrating
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
There’s always been a conspiratorial smokiness in their singing, a crackle of long nights and bleary mornings penetrating their drawl.
—
Brad Sanders,
Pitchfork,
26 June 2026
Overhead lights flip on, penetrating her skull like three angry white eyes.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
Commercial grout cleaners can be more effective than DIY solutions since these cleaners have a higher concentration of penetrating chemicals.
—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Verb
On Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office began using ground-penetrating radar to search the soil at Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna for carcasses.
—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
There’s always been a conspiratorial smokiness in their singing, a crackle of long nights and bleary mornings penetrating their drawl.
—
Brad Sanders,
Pitchfork,
26 June 2026
Overhead lights flip on, penetrating her skull like three angry white eyes.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
Commercial grout cleaners can be more effective than DIY solutions since these cleaners have a higher concentration of penetrating chemicals.
—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penetrating
Adjective
-
So Google isn’t trying to release more biting mosquitoes into neighborhoods.
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Netflix’s big comedy bet might be the Dan Levy–Rachel Sennott co-creation Big Mistakes; the biting, farcical series about adult siblings who get caught up in the drug business plays like Weeds crossed with The Other Two.
Verb
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The budget also removes some barriers to accessing care for families.
-
First, Alberto Freites Arvilla would unplug the ATM and use a bezel key to open its hood, accessing the inside of the machine while Luis Freites Arvilla stood watch.
Adjective
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But to pay that extra and miss out on one of Samsung’s best hardware inventions in years would be a bitter pill to swallow.
-
Many Lebanese also have bitter memories of the decades of Syrian occupation of Lebanon, which began during the Lebanese civil war, initially at the request of Lebanese authorities and with the backing of Arab states, ending in 2005.
Verb
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Granite cliffs piercing the sea and the sky are Acadia National Park’s most recognizable feature.
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Her flat, piercing groundstrokes and booming serve are perfect for grass, and defending champion Świątek will need to calm down her serving roller coaster to stay in touch.
Adjective
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In addition to the sharp shape, the coffee brown shade gives the bag a more elevated feel.
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During male puberty, rising testosterone drives the cartilage to grow forward and meet at a sharper angle, while simultaneously lengthening the vocal folds and vocal tract housed just behind it.
Verb
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Despite entering the match as overwhelming favorites, Argentina is approaching the match cautiously.
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British singer Ellie Goulding was spotted entering a car while wearing a black cocktail dress.
Cite this Entry
“Penetrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penetrating. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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