1
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
that light sweater will be no match for the piercing wind outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in loud
marked by a high volume of sound
the frightened child emitted a piercing shriek that could be heard all over the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in penetrating
to go or come in or into
thoughts of revenge relentlessly pierced her mind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in drilling
to make a hole or series of holes in
pierced his ears with a needle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stabbing
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
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Recent Examples of piercing
Dwight Garner, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Only Jean-Baptiste could make such a screed so funny, so piercing and so devastating.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2025
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The bone was found to be raw, unworked, except for a single hole piercing its entire length.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Adjective
What spooks Vara is that A.I. writes what are possibly her essay’s most piercing lines.
—Dwight Garner, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Only Jean-Baptiste could make such a screed so funny, so piercing and so devastating.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
Touches five and six are merely the cajoling preamble to the pièce de résistance, aka touch seven, a piercing through ball which splits defender Goncalo Inacio and backtracking forward Geny Catamo like a warm bread knife through a ciabatta roll straight out of Mama’s oven.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The bone was found to be raw, unworked, except for a single hole piercing its entire length.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercing
Adjective
-
But usually the administration official doesn’t fight back in such a biting way.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Over nearly three decades, Baumbach has built a career chronicling families in crisis and artists at the crossroads, his films combining biting wit with an unflinching emotional honesty.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Calls for the United States to return astronauts to the moon before the end of the decade have been increasingly loud and frequent, emanating from bipartisan lawmakers and science advocates alike.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Los Angeles Rams kicker Joshua Karty’s field-goal attempt went off the right upright and made one of the loudest doinks of the season, creating a buzz among NFL fans on Sunday.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Kim has called for the development of multi-warhead systems that would improve the chances of penetrating missile defenses, and some experts say the Hwasong-20 could be designed for that purpose.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Commercial grout cleaners can be more effective than DIY solutions since these cleaners have a higher concentration of penetrating chemicals.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
To be sure, California would be within its power to prohibit drilling by condemning mineral estates through eminent domain and paying compensation to the owners.—
Chris Kieser,
Oc Register,
14 Oct. 2025
-
This heat moves outward through layers of rock and can be captured by drilling wells to access hot water, steam, or dry rock formations.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The 33-year-old suspect in the Kroger Marketplace stabbing in Southgate was acting in self-defense while being punched at work, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
And when her neighbor horrifyingly begins stabbing herself repeatedly.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Free Press, which Paramount bought for about $150 million, paints itself as a voice of the center but draws its energy from the bitter US culture wars.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
There were glimmers of hope, even in bitter defeat, for the reigning AFC champions.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
That was the sound of Blackwell’s game-deciding block, followed by the deafening final eruption from the stands of Allegiant Stadium.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
And now that Survivor 50 has already been cast and filmed, that drumbeat is almost deafening.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Those without internet access can listen to the call live by dialing (833) 470-1428 and then entering the passcode, 549176.—
Jon Walker,
Arkansas Online,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Aid workers added that rebuilding sanitation networks is also necessary but will be a challenge until the supplies entering Gaza necessary increase.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercing. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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