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
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Recent Examples of 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
Among the accessories are a revolver, compass, fishing rod, harpoon, spear and, of course, the yellow barrels (see the images below).
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 July 2024
The most recent shows the interior entryway of that house; an umbrella jar holds several walking sticks and two ancient Inuit harpoons with whale-bone barbs; on the wall above them hangs a gleaming nineteenth-century harpoon gun.
—Annie Proulx, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for harpoon 
Noun
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
Among the accessories are a revolver, compass, fishing rod, harpoon, spear and, of course, the yellow barrels (see the images below).
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 July 2024
The most recent shows the interior entryway of that house; an umbrella jar holds several walking sticks and two ancient Inuit harpoons with whale-bone barbs; on the wall above them hangs a gleaming nineteenth-century harpoon gun.
—Annie Proulx, The New Yorker, 30 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for harpoon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpoon
Verb
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The episode was recorded in November at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, where Mangum is serving time after being convicted of second-degree murder for stabbing her boyfriend in April 2011.Jenna West, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
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The crook stabbed 32-year-old Aurelio Mendez in the chest at Fordham Fruit and Vegetables on Creston Ave.Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Burtka opted for the likeness of Poseidon the god of the sea, carrying a trident and wearing shelled armor.Hannah Sacks, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
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The central Texas trident of communities also saw the seventh-largest numeric increase in population between 2022 and 2023.Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Mar. 2024
Verb
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Hozier has spent his entire career as a road warrior, gradually leveling up in terms of venue size — and earning lifelong fans with his live combination of low-key charisma and soaring singalongs, elevated by his piercing baritone — but making sure not to skip steps, or markets.Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 12 Dec. 2024
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Singer Rob Halford screamed for vengeance with piercing luster while the unassailable tandem of Ian Hill and Scott Travis manufactured rhythmic foundations rooted in the pounding roar of the steel factories that once dominated the band’s Birmingham, England, hometown.Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Along with the connectivity upgrade, these silver spears can pack up to six sensors, whereas earlier generations might have only had one.Sal Vaglica, WIRED, 11 Dec. 2024
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Namor can throw his spear from a distance, picking people off, but also spawn little sea creatures that fire at enemies, acting as a summoner-style hero to lock down chokepoints and objectives.Echo Apsey, Rolling Stone, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The blast killed 18 sailors and punctured the hull.Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
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Officers gave chase and used a device similar to a spike strip to puncture the tires of the cars, but the drivers continued onto northbound Highway 101, police said.Jason Green, The Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2024
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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Paul jabbed his way to a unanimous victory, cementing his legacy in the boxing world.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
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Residents crowded over hot dogs and burgers while jabbing one another with jokes and stories.Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 25 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Snagging a deal on Woot is about being quick, as these deals don't stick for long, disappearing as soon as stock runs out (which is usually pretty quick).Gabriela Vatu, PCMAG, 12 Dec. 2024
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This one is on sale for $12 for a pack of two and is simple to set up: just stick it in the path of the door at your next hotel or Airbnb and turn it on.Erin Cavoto, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpoon. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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