as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
an icy, penetrating rain that made you feel really miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in accessing
to go or come in or into
a needle penetrated the heavy canvas only with great effort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 penetrating
Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2019
Nachmanides takes a different approach and offers perhaps the most penetrating psychological insight.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2022
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
Ground-penetrating radar aboard the rover measured thick layers of sand, sloping gently upward toward the rocky shore, as if washed up by ocean waves.
—Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Adjective
Kamitani is one of the world’s leading experts on the visual cortex, the part of the brain that processes what the eyes see, and fMRI is one of his most penetrating instruments.
—Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2019
Nachmanides takes a different approach and offers perhaps the most penetrating psychological insight.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2022
Verb
The instrument is capable of penetrating up to 330 feet below the surface, but Zhurong did not have to go nearly that deep to hit paydirt.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
Ground-penetrating radar aboard the rover measured thick layers of sand, sloping gently upward toward the rocky shore, as if washed up by ocean waves.
—Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penetrating
Adjective
-
There is a place to scamper inside to escape the biting winds at Nordkapp — a visitor center with a coffee shop, theater, small museum and continental Europe’s northernmost post office.—
Dan Fellner,
AZCentral.com,
6 July 2025
-
Share the research from 30 years ago that concludes these devices do not significantly reduce mosquito or biting insect populations.—
Markis Hill,
Kansas City Star,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
There were no bitter comments blaming liberal forest-management policies.—
Nick Allardice,
Time,
10 July 2025
-
Public records show the home belongs to former Councilman Bill Sanders, who ran for mayor and lost last year after a years-long history of bitter clashes with other city officials and staff.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Justin previously debuted a nostril piercing almost a decade ago with an Instagram selfie in 2016, according to outlets Cosmopolitan and Refinery29.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
There was something stark and piercing in me that was much closer to clarity than to muddle, but calling it a muddle took less effort.—
Yiyun Li,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The sharper that angle is the faster the Earth orbits, with lunar gravity in this case speeding things up, countering the braking effect that lunar apogee usually applies.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
9 July 2025
-
Use sharp, clean hand pruners or a sharp knife to remove the wilting flowers and drop them into a collection container.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
The reeling Heat put together a quality effort against the talented Celtics, entering halftime with the score tied at 50 and entering the fourth quarter trailing by just one point.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 2025
-
The singer and the NFL star, both 35, were photographed entering Del Frisco's Grille at Brookfield Place on Friday, March 14.—
Nicholas Rice,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penetrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penetrating. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share