1
as in to penetrate
to go or come in or into
thoughts of revenge relentlessly pierced her mind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to drill
to make a hole or series of holes in
pierced his ears with a needle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
the saber pierced his chest, releasing a spurt of blood
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Steve died in September 2006 after a stingray's tail pierced his chest and caused a fatal injury to his heart while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef, when Robert was 2 years old.
—
Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Thawing ice along a riverbank, the shallows capturing the reflection of one of the grandchildren; the burning flame of a wick disappearing into a birthday cake; the deep, dark tunnel of a fleeting set of train tracks, as piercing as the endless blue eyes of the toddler in the diptych beside it.
—Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Cover; cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes; drain.
—Jessica Saari Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 May 2026
This tank, more than any of its Allied counterparts, sent German designers back to the drawing board to produce the next generation of tanks that featured heavier armor and higher-velocity cannons with greater range and armor-piercing capability.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pierce
Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Thawing ice along a riverbank, the shallows capturing the reflection of one of the grandchildren; the burning flame of a wick disappearing into a birthday cake; the deep, dark tunnel of a fleeting set of train tracks, as piercing as the endless blue eyes of the toddler in the diptych beside it.
—Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Cover; cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes; drain.
—Jessica Saari Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 May 2026
This tank, more than any of its Allied counterparts, sent German designers back to the drawing board to produce the next generation of tanks that featured heavier armor and higher-velocity cannons with greater range and armor-piercing capability.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pierce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pierce
Verb
-
Their enormous talons penetrate deeply into tissue, while the bird’s powerful flexor muscles clamp down with immense force.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
The precision strike successfully penetrated defenses that had been held for years.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Both candidates were the only ones to say California should resume offshore drilling.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
Cape Station entails drilling wells 10,000 feet deep—about 2 miles—and then directionally drilling horizontally another 7,500 feet to create adequately sized reservoirs, and fracking (hydraulic fracturing) the rock to release the flows of water naturally heated to more than 400 degrees.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Three people were stabbed on a Rhode Island beach Tuesday as hundreds of teenagers packed the area, forcing beachgoers to flee.—
Louis Casiano , Brooke Taylor,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
-
The family's dog then came to protect the family, and Vigneau allegedly stabbed the dog twice in the mouth area, prosecutors say.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
All of this was aggravated by a raft of economic uncertainties, from weak domestic consumption to the threat of a historic trade war with the US, leaving the keenest buyers, like Cai, to think twice before entering the market.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
Detroit will now enter the offseason with an understanding that its roster as currently constructed isn’t yet equipped to be a true title contender.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The investigation determined that Castillo used his control panel to unlock the third inmate’s cell, and in his line of sight, the pair pulled open the door, entered the cell and proceeded to punch and kick the victim.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
Two inmates punched and kicked the victim for about 30 seconds in his cell, while a third inmate stood guard.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Yet the rebuttal did not totally puncture Axelsson’s belief in inflatable furniture.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
In rare cases, Asamoah says a colon cleanse could puncture your bowel, which may cause a severe infection or even be life-threatening.—
Erica Sweeney,
Time,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The neighborhood/area The hotel is set inside a 500-acre park and guests can easily access the surrounding parkland and its three nature trails.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
In recent years, a few prominent detransitioners, including Chloe Cole and Prisha Mosley, have advocated for restrictions on transition care for minors, arguing in lawsuits against doctors who treated them that their care was too easy to access and that doctors failed them.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Spikes of speedwell look lovely poking up along the edges of paths and garden beds in summer.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
-
Some birds also will poke holes in the ground looking for tasty critters.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pierce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pierce. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
