as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
she speared a pea with her fork and angrily flung it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spear
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Maybe the Dolphins beat the Bills if Jordan Poyer doesn’t get flagged for spearing a Buffalo receiver, setting up the game-winning 61-yard field goal.
—Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Advertisement Advertisement The upshot: our college graduates’ woes could be just the tip of the spear.
—Paul Tudor Jones, Time, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for spear
Verb
As Ciampa dangled, Dawkins leaped from the ladder and speared Ciampa down through a table that was set up beneath him.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Maybe the Dolphins beat the Bills if Jordan Poyer doesn’t get flagged for spearing a Buffalo receiver, setting up the game-winning 61-yard field goal.
—Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
Political tipping points are just the tip of the spear.
—Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Advertisement Advertisement The upshot: our college graduates’ woes could be just the tip of the spear.
—Paul Tudor Jones, Time, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for spear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spear
Verb
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At some point, one of Valle's friends allegedly gave him a knife, which was used during the brawl to stab McGrath.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
11 July 2025
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Wallace was talking about his 4-year-old son, Jordan Wallace, who, according to prosecutors, Tolbert stabbed more than 36 times, killing him on Independence Day morning.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 July 2025
Noun
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With her final attempt in the women’s javelin finals Thursday, Barrios Bornacelli fired off a throw of 203 feet, 5 inches, winning the event — and the national championship.—
Jacob Louraine,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2025
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The men’s 800m, women’s javelin, women’s 100m hurdles, men’s 5000m and women’s 1500m are the other events to cap off the Paris athletics competition.—
Lukas Weese,
The Athletic,
9 Aug. 2024
Verb
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With piercing honesty and raw emotion, Jean Smart delivers a powerful monologue in Call Me Izzy, a new play written by Jamie Wax and directed by Sarna Lapine.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
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The hot nights pierced with cold decisions on young men’s futures.—
Devon Henderson,
Oc Register,
6 July 2025
Noun
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Flame-retardant foams do little, and fire departments now favor high-pressure water lances or immersion pits.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
9 June 2025
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With about a thousand Mexicans in front of him, Yell charged alone with his sword in hand, apparently killing several Mexicans until brought down by multiple lance wounds.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 May 2025
Verb
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Steering column was pushed into his chest, broke his ribs, rib punctured his heart.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 July 2025
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Another teen girl was stabbed, her lung punctured, during the melee.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Former Major League Baseball (MLB) starter Trevor Bauer took Pete Rose’s reinstatement as another avenue to jab the league.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2025
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Nearly 150 people were jabbed with syringes during a street music festival in France, the country’s interior ministry said, adding that authorities had arrested at least 12 suspects.—
Astha Rajvanshi,
NBC news,
24 June 2025
Verb
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This year, the program is running twice as long and with four times the number of attractions to pick from.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
8 July 2025
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Readers clearly have no problem picking favorites, with the top properties located mostly in major travel destinations like Mumbai, New Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Agra.—
Hannah Walhout,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Thompson will need to prove the most in this area to stick, as well.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
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The new websites offer a variety of information that appears to stick closely to generally accepted definitions and science around geoengineering and the government’s ongoing research on contrails.—
Pilar Melendez,
NBC news,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spear. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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