spears 1 of 2

plural of spear
as in javelins
a weapon with a long straight handle and sharp head or blade the Roman gladiator thrust his spear triumphantly into the lion's side

Synonyms & Similar Words

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spears

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of spear

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 spears
Noun
The unrest began in mid-March but has intensified, leaving at least three dead as vigilantes armed with spears, clubs, and whips assaulted migrants and destroyed their homes. Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 28 June 2026 Mexico were being booed, booed furiously, but even that low rumble failed to drown out the whistles, hurled from the stands of the Estadio Akron with the ferocity and barb of spears. Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 June 2026 Instead, use the heat to cook up sides like broccolini spears or baby potatoes that taste even better next to this steak. Josh Miller, Southern Living, 15 June 2026 Young boys, some no older than five or six, showed off their marksmanship by throwing reeds like spears with perfect accuracy, and the men demonstrated their precision with bow and arrow. Literary Hub, 11 June 2026 Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that takes a few years to produce edible spears. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 May 2026 According to writings from the time, in one game, women dressed as the goddess Diana and used spears to fight vicious boars across the arena floor. Taylor Mitchell Brown, Scientific American, 19 May 2026 The finish came when Rollins nearly secured a victory but met his end after a pair of rib-splitting spears. Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026 The farmers—many barefoot, carrying a melange of machetes, spears, and old guns—lay in wait. Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
Verb
The midfielder spears an accurate long ball to Yildiz, setting him away into the box. Thom Harris, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spears
Noun
  • Humans have been throwing javelins for a few hundred thousand years, yet performance has largely plateaued.
    R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026
  • The Tofinu took refuge in the lagoons along the Bight of Benin, a core area of the slave trade, venturing forth in canoes with harpoons, javelins, and swords to fight off raiders from powerful nearby kingdoms.
    Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Kara talks her out of it, and when Ruthye walks away, Kara turns back to Krem and stabs him multiple times with a sword.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 June 2026
  • On cue, a Frey leaps out and stabs Robb’s pregnant wife Talisa (Oona Chaplin) in the stomach, and a volley of crossbow arrows lay into Robb and his friends.
    EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
Noun
  • Bottom cleaners use lances to scrape biofoul off hulls.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • Um dos lances mais bonitos da nossa história.
    Stuart James, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • New reads abound for your vacation tote throughout the weeks of July, with fiction picks featuring a Carnival cruise casualty, a highly entertaining jewel heist at the Waldorf-Astoria, and a Soviet-era madcap adventure.
    Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • And with all the trades Peterson has pulled off in his tenure at the helm, the Hornets boast a treasure trove of draft picks just over the next five years alone.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 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
  • If a foreign object punctures the tread or sidewall, your tire can deflate slowly or quickly, depending on the puncture.
    Jason Fogelson, AJC.com, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • And who the f--- pierces a 12 year old?
    Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026
  • Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear.
    Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The late Bill Carr, a former Florida athletic director who was Houston’s AD when the SWC breakup began, once summed this up to me in a way that still sticks.
    Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 1 July 2026
  • No sooner does Aemond arrive than the silver-white-haired warrior sticks his blade into the smooth-talking Harrenhal caretaker, Ser Simon Strong, played by British thespian Simon Russell Beale.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • Continue reading … OUT OF LEFT FIELD — Tom Hanks jokingly jabs MS NOW while speaking with reporter live on the network.
    , FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
  • But following elite competition is nearly impossible, with subtle flicks and jabs practically invisible to the naked eye—and competitors hidden behind masks.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Spears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spears. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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