as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
an icy, penetrating rain that made you feel really miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of penetrating
Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2023
Nachmanides takes a different approach and offers perhaps the most penetrating psychological insight.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2022
Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Law enforcement from the South Elgin Police Department and Fox Valley Major Crimes Task Force spent Thursday at a home in the 800 block of Revere Road after ground-penetrating radar found anomalies underground that police said warranted further investigation.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Adjective
Those pictures are much more penetrating then the pictures of walls with bullet holes.
—Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2023
Nachmanides takes a different approach and offers perhaps the most penetrating psychological insight.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2022
Verb
Detectives used ground-penetrating radar and dug the property using hand tools, the sheriff’s office told CNN at the time.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Law enforcement from the South Elgin Police Department and Fox Valley Major Crimes Task Force spent Thursday at a home in the 800 block of Revere Road after ground-penetrating radar found anomalies underground that police said warranted further investigation.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penetrating
Adjective
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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.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
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The tracks are more vulnerable, biting, and self-aware than ever, and in some cases, feature lyrics pulled right out of Hjelt’s diary.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Air India has also been pressured by Pakistan’s decision to bar Indian airlines from accessing its airspace, following a brief conflict with India last year.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
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The performance will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is looking to raise $100 million to assist children in accessing education and soccer.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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But their styles could hardly be more different, and their feud has grown so bitter that their rivals are appealing to voters exhausted by the brawling.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
18 May 2026
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The verdict concludes a dramatic chapter in Musk and Altman’s bitter feud, and paves the way for OpenAI to go public, in one of the largest IPOs expected to date.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The Diotima Quartet gave an exacting, piercing account of the work.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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In this piercing account of the American Dream in tatters, the magnitude of that dimension feels appropriate, echoing the currents of betrayal, fear and death that course through the film like rivulets of blood.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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Double-bass glissandos hint at hands grubbing in the earth, while abrupt moments of concerted action—notably, an accordion wheezing out an F-sharp-minor chord—suggest flickering signals and transmissions.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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The summit will take place amid a sharp sell-off in global bond markets.—
Hugh Leask,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The trend does not bode well for Massie, who has won every primary challenge since entering Congress with over 70% of the vote.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
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In Season 2, the stakes are upped as the battle for the Central South West television franchise reaches a fever pitch, with the war between Corinium and Venturer entering a dangerous phase.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penetrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penetrating. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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