as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
she deftly harpooned a shrimp with her skewer and held it over the fire
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of harpoon
Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2024
Bowhead whales have been found with historical whaling harpoons embedded in their blubber, indicating that some individuals were alive during the 19th century.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024
Nils, for his part, liked to visit this rock with his harpoon.
—Brooke Jarvis, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
Clad in a full steampunk-style deep-sea diving suit, this animatronic also clutches a harpoon with rogue seaweed hanging from the tip.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for harpoon 
Noun
Wire mesh would then unfold along the harpoon cables, creating a huge parabolic dish.
—Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2024
Bowhead whales have been found with historical whaling harpoons embedded in their blubber, indicating that some individuals were alive during the 19th century.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024
Nils, for his part, liked to visit this rock with his harpoon.
—Brooke Jarvis, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
Clad in a full steampunk-style deep-sea diving suit, this animatronic also clutches a harpoon with rogue seaweed hanging from the tip.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for harpoon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpoon
Verb
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Jarrells was stabbed to death by her sister Brianna Jarrells, prosecutors allege.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
10 Jan. 2025
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Anna-Lena Svensson, a 56-year-old woman who happened to witness the attack, tried to intervene but was also fatally stabbed.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
TIME,
10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The garden places you behind the statue of Old Father Thames, who is riding a two-horse chariot, his trident hold aloft.—
Angelina Villa-Clarke,
Forbes,
10 Dec. 2024
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Each six-way power seat comes clad in smooth black leather with white contrast stitching at the seams and the trident logo embroidered into the headrest.—
Martin Lerma,
Robb Report,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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As dawn unfurls, golden rays pierce through the coastal mist, revealing a path of broken branches and impossibly large footprints winding past the door of my luxurious tented shelter.—
Christine Chitnis,
Vogue,
8 Jan. 2025
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Her vocals drift and disappear into the ether as her thoughts do, but the highs are piercing and often at war with aggressive bass levels.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This is not so in Poland, where the government of former EU Council President and current prime minister, Donald Tusk, looks not for tools but for weapons — spears to throw at its friends abroad and knives to jab at its critics at home.—
Matt Boyse,
National Review,
7 Jan. 2025
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The same steps where, four years earlier, Trump flags were waved above the frenzied crowd and wielded like spears; where an officer was dragged facedown to be beaten with an American flag on a pole and another was pulled into the scrum to be kicked and stomped.—
Dan Barry,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Those teeth’s ability to puncture yet not break definitely provided an advantage.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
10 Jan. 2025
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Having other options to puncture an opposing defense has always been a priority for Antetokounmpo as his game has matured over the last 12 years.—
Eric Nehm,
The Athletic,
1 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The retainer then struck her down with a halberd, set the mansion ablaze, and committed seppuku.—
Nicholas Liu,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2024
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Also, his halberd starts fritzing on the floor before fading out of existence, a reminder that this is all virtual reality—or rather, VR within VR, the metatextual framing of Ubisoft’s latest Assassin’s Creed game.—
WIRED,
WIRED,
16 Nov. 2023
Verb
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While Trudeau sought to appease Trump, visiting him at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the incoming president has since repeatedly jabbed at the prime minister, suggesting making Canada the 51st state and reiterating the idea in response to Trudeau’s resignation.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC News,
7 Jan. 2025
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In the meantime, Democrats are jabbing back at GOP claims over the New Orleans atrocity.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Historically, the Sooners’ have been renowned for their uncanny ability to stick landings on vault.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes,
11 Jan. 2025
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Because temperatures are below freezing in most areas, the snow could stick and reach as much as 2 inches or more in northern Mecklenburg County.—
Andrew Dys,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near harpoon
Cite this Entry
“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpoon. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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