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
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Recent Examples of piercing
Kristy Alpert, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025
And somehow, though a mother’s grief has got to be the most piercing emotion in the world, what Mescal tells us about a man’s grief ends up having more weight.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 Nov. 2025
Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
New video captured the horrifying moment a Florida police officer’s body camera stopped a bullet from piercing his chest while conducting a routine investigation last month.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Adjective
Its piercing alarm is activated with the simple press of a button, which also turns on flashing strobe lights.
—Kristy Alpert, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025
And somehow, though a mother’s grief has got to be the most piercing emotion in the world, what Mescal tells us about a man’s grief ends up having more weight.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 Nov. 2025
Verb
The shortstop broke his bat on one pitch and a shard hit teammate Steve Yeager in the on-deck circle, piercing the catcher’s throat.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
New video captured the horrifying moment a Florida police officer’s body camera stopped a bullet from piercing his chest while conducting a routine investigation last month.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for piercing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piercing
Adjective
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Netflix’s big comedy bet might be the Dan Levy–Rachel Sennott co-creation Big Mistakes; the biting, farcical series about adult siblings who get caught up in the drug business plays like Weeds crossed with The Other Two.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
-
The tracks are more vulnerable, biting, and self-aware than ever, and in some cases, feature lyrics pulled right out of Hjelt’s diary.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The post drew loud boos from the crowd.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
1 May 2026
-
This misguided motion by a Democratic Socialist councilmember deserves a loud, emphatic no vote from the full City Council.—
Matt Klink,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The visual style, combined with Graczyk’s emotionally penetrating writing and the nakedly confessional performances, makes this both a key Altman work and a great case study for filmmakers trying to figure out how to create a sense of scale with limited funds.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
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What else is going on The teenager who singer D4vd is charged with killing died of multiple penetrating injuries before someone amputated her legs, arms and two of her fingers.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Brown declared, pulling a handle that started drilling the first hole of soil tests for a subway that planners estimated could be built in just three years.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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For producers, prices were high enough to turn a profit but not high enough to justify sending a bunch of drilling rigs out to boost production.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Verb
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London — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was heckled Thursday during a visit to North London, a day after two Jewish men were wounded in a stabbing attack — the latest in a series of incidents that one of Starmer's cabinet members has called an antisemitism emergency.—
Inaya Folarin Iman,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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An alleged TikTok antagonist is accused of stabbing a 17-year-old to death outside his New York City apartment building, authorities said.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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During Chicago’s bitter winter of 2013-2014, the Humboldt Park Lagoon froze over, and snow piled on top of the thick layer of ice, plunging vegetation into a deadly darkness.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
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Blake Lively agreed to settle her retaliation lawsuit against Justin Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios, dodging a trial over the bitter Hollywood feud weeks before it was set to begin and bringing an end to a conflict that has sparked widespread interest for nearly two years.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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The stirring of the home supporters by Rowe, however, made the sound of silence more deafening in the final minute.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Records say the sound created a deafening roar across Copenhagen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Before entering high school, Andrew’s Sean Gagen had a choice to make.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
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The 6-8 Barlow, who averaged just under nine postseason minutes per game off the bench entering Game 2, totaled 16 minutes Wednesday.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piercing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piercing. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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