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
Relevance
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 harpoon
David Matthews, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
While David padded toward the bow where two harpoons lay ready, Kim throttled down and the Theresa slowly, almost silently, moved in behind the cruising fin.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
When activated, the harpoon is ejected, penetrates under the skin, and venom is released.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
Once the lander’s three legs absorb the landing shock, Philae will anchor itself in the comet’s surface by firing two harpoons while using a thruster to counteract the force of the harpoons.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Nov. 2014
See All Example Sentences for harpoon
Verb
Ali reportedly tried to use a handheld harpoon while trying to access the apartment through the house’s front door before trying to break a window and smash his way inside.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
While David padded toward the bow where two harpoons lay ready, Kim throttled down and the Theresa slowly, almost silently, moved in behind the cruising fin.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
When activated, the harpoon is ejected, penetrates under the skin, and venom is released.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
Once the lander’s three legs absorb the landing shock, Philae will anchor itself in the comet’s surface by firing two harpoons while using a thruster to counteract the force of the harpoons.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Nov. 2014
See All Example Sentences for harpoon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpoon
Verb
-
Late last month, Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed on a train in North Carolina.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Instead, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack while riding a Charlotte, North Carolina, light rail train home from work.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Stepheny Price , Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hoosiers can hunt frogs with bow and arrows, clubs, some firearms, or simply, their hands, but Plumier teaches those gathered at Goose Pond how to use gigs — long, multi-pronged spears that look a little bit like tridents.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Among them were horseshoes, nails, axes, a fishing trident, coins and keys, officials said.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Polish officials said Russian drones pierced their airspace 19 times from late Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The morning sun barely pierced the haze over Maitighar Mandala, yet the atmosphere was electric.—
Sonal Nain,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hoosiers can hunt frogs with bow and arrows, clubs, some firearms, or simply, their hands, but Plumier teaches those gathered at Goose Pond how to use gigs — long, multi-pronged spears that look a little bit like tridents.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Thirty other heavily encrusted artifacts were recovered from the seabed, including swords, javelins and spears that were used in the battle, according to the release.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That moment punctured the membrane between past and present for me.—
Michael Jerome Plunkett
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Part art, part wishful history, and part showmanship that only careful materials science could puncture.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The retainer then struck her down with a halberd, set the mansion ablaze, and committed seppuku.—
Nicholas Liu,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2024
-
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
-
Daniel yells after jabbing his net into the bank.—
Wesley Bruer,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Trump on Wednesday took to Truth Social to jab Newsom with a couple of posts taunting the likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender.—
Amie Parnes,
The Hill,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Another was stuck in the lockdown at the school.—
Katie Langford,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The phrase stuck and Wiegman used it throughout the Euros.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpoon. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share