as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
impale a marshmallow or two on that stick and let's start toasting
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 impale
Problem: Moving wall of spikes completes migration across room, but victim is not impaled.
—
Jack Handey, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
The collapse leaves Hen (Aisha Hinds) dizzy and puking, Chimney impaled in the ambulance, and Bobby trapped in the rubble.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024
To date, only eight incidents of blue sharks impaled by swordfish have been documented, all fatal until now.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
In that scene, Hercules’ father, Zeus (Russell Crowe), commands his son to bring down Thor (after Thor impaled Zeus with his own lightning bolt).
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 26 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for impale
Jack Handey, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
The collapse leaves Hen (Aisha Hinds) dizzy and puking, Chimney impaled in the ambulance, and Bobby trapped in the rubble.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2024
To date, only eight incidents of blue sharks impaled by swordfish have been documented, all fatal until now.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
In that scene, Hercules’ father, Zeus (Russell Crowe), commands his son to bring down Thor (after Thor impaled Zeus with his own lightning bolt).
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 26 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for impale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impale
Verb
-
The rookie hero, opening beer bottles with his eye socket, pulling out his own tooth with pliers, and being stabbed by a fan in Mexico wielding a pen, made news everywhere.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Police said the victim got into an argument with four teen boys and was then stabbed.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
That, for me, is the only piercing message of this whole thing.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Stray bullets had shattered his own downstairs window; a second bullet pierced the house and lodged into an upstairs wall.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The finch uses its sharp beak to peck at the skin of the seabird around the neck or back, puncturing blood vessels to access the blood.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
-
The documents identify several key senior policymakers behind the scenes while also puncturing the administration’s claims of a careful, deliberative review of USAID programming.—
Brett Murphy,
ProPublica,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Get tickets on StubHub Own your bracket pool with The Athletic Projecting the bracket | Best picks to win the title | Best bracket names No. 1 USC Trojans Strengths: The biggest plus is that USC has JuJu Watkins.—
The Athletic,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
-
When asked to pick a favorite (an unfair question, admittedly), Dynevor highlights an undersung benefit of antiques: their usefulness.—
Nora Taylor,
Architectural Digest,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
University of California, Berkeley (UCB) researchers have now shown off the one-legged Salto bot mimic the way squirrels leap effortlessly between precarious branches and stick the landing on the very first attempt.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Regardless, Italy's communication regulator praises the ruling and hopes to continue sticking it to international tech firms.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The video shows narwhals using their tusks to jab and stun the fish, which could indicate how narwhals interact with their prey.—
Monica Cull,
Discover Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Lawrence has been so successful for so long at helping entitled rich kids get admitted to Ivy League schools (specifically and exclusively Ivies) that one of them comes back to jab him with a fencing foil.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impale. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share