pierce

Definition of piercenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb pierce differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of pierce are enter, penetrate, and probe. While all these words mean "to make way into something," pierce means an entering or cutting through with a sharp pointed instrument.

pierced the boil with a lancet

When might enter be a better fit than pierce?

While the synonyms enter and pierce are close in meaning, enter is the most general of these and may imply either going in or forcing a way in.

entered the city in triumph

When is penetrate a more appropriate choice than pierce?

While in some cases nearly identical to pierce, penetrate carries a strong implication of an impelling force or compelling power that achieves entrance.

the enemy penetrated the fortress

Where would probe be a reasonable alternative to pierce?

The synonyms probe and pierce are sometimes interchangeable, but probe implies penetration to investigate or explore something hidden from sight or knowledge.

probed the depths of the sea

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pierce The song’s spacious production lets its piercing saxophone riffs dissipate into silence, only for borderline obnoxious horns to swirl them back into rhythm. Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2026 First responders found the woman conscious and alert after an umbrella stake pierced her shoulder. Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026 Male fruit flies use their aedeagi to pierce their mates’ vaginal wall and inject peptides into their bloodstream, possibly to reduce their interest in other mates. Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 Because of the bullets that pierced his mother, he was deprived of blood and oxygen for critical minutes just prior to his birth. Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pierce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pierce
Verb
  • Education officials visited the company’s headquarters to see how the product worked and found that bullets did not penetrate the glass.
    Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Israel has a long track record of targeting senior Iranian military officers and government officials and successfully penetrating the Iranian regime’s security.
    Natasha Lebedeva, NBC news, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • Moments later the ball bounced to Lamine Yamal, who drilled a shot that was blocked.
    Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026
  • Although the video does include a rig that involves drilling a mast beam (or thwart) into the canoe’s upper hull edge ( or gunwales), there is also a route that instead uses clamps.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Gabriel Garland, the Love Island UK Islander who was removed from the villa after being named in court documents in a stabbing incident, has broken his silence.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 3 July 2026
  • Continue reading … CABIN CHAOS — Midair horror as passenger admits trying to stab stranger through the eye.
    , FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • As luxury travel continues shifting toward experiences that prioritize authenticity over excess, wine country may be entering a new era—one where the bottle remains the starting point, but no longer the entire story.
    Emily Cappiello, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • King concluded that Saulter was in a conspiracy to get King removed from office, and directed Arriola to view recordings of other cameras in the office to determine who was entering the offices of Saulter and Goodloe.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • With group play coming to a close and the Round of 32 approaching, the competition is heating up as teams look to punch their tickets to the knockout round in hopes of hoisting the FIFA World Cup Trophy at the final on Sunday, July 19.
    Jaclyn Hendricks, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • That punched El Tri's ticket straight to the Round of 16 and kept the host nation's tournament dream alive for at least one more match.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Commentary and opinions In his latest column, Michael Hiltzik punctures the myth of Alan Greenspan, whose policies gave us the Great Recession.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
  • Where there’s normally carpet or hardwood floors, there are rocks, puncturing bare feet with each step.
    Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • For anyone who has been putting off a checkup, over the counter hearing aids have made treatment easier to access than ever, which turns this into one of the simplest risk factors on the list to actually address.
    Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026
  • Prior to this new Medicare pilot, seniors who wanted to access GLP-1s for obesity alone paid about $1,350-$1,650 per month for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) and about $1,086 monthly for Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide).
    Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Calderón, a big, bald man wearing a gold chain and cross-shaped earrings, sat off to the side, amid an entourage of muscular assistants in polo shirts, poking at his phone.
    Will Freeman, New Yorker, 30 June 2026
  • Find a location with an unobstructed view to the southeast, where the full moon’s orangey disk will poke above the horizon minutes after the moonrise time — though exactly when depends on local terrain and buildings.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pierce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pierce. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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