as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
an icy, penetrating rain that made you feel really miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in accessing
to go or come in or into
a needle penetrated the heavy canvas only with great effort
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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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
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2024
And while ground-penetrating radar confirmed the presence of 28 bodies, there are likely more — including smaller graves of children or infants.
—Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
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 medium admits self-portraiture with obvious ease (just step in front of the camera), but few filmmakers can withstand its penetrating gaze, which is surely why the practice self-selects toward the masters of the art.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2024
And while ground-penetrating radar confirmed the presence of 28 bodies, there are likely more — including smaller graves of children or infants.
—Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for penetrating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penetrating
Adjective
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Created by Tony McNamara, who earned Oscar nominations for his writing work on both The Favourite and Poor Things, The Great offers the same combination of lush costumes and scenery mixed with a biting commentary on the world, and a woman’s place in it.Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
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Her awful journey is a raging scream against the patriarchy and a biting critique of how women are viewed, especially by other women.The Week US, theweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Trump and Obama’s political rivalry has led to bitter attacks during the past three presidential campaigns.Mabinty Quarshie, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Jan. 2025
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Despite a fresh round of bitter cold, snow, freezing rain and ice, Cotton Bowl officials plan to proceed with kickoff at 6:30 p.m. tonight at AT&T Stadium.Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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And an image of a woman named Linda Jackson washing her hair in a plastic bin on the Navajo Nation, the striking mountains of Monument Valley piercing the background, was how Elliot Ross shed light on what life is like in America’s water inequality capital.TIME Photo Department, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
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The She Wolf's howl is as piercing as ever.Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In Britain, worries over the country’s borrowing needs contributed to a sharp sell-off in the nation’s government bonds, known as gilts, with the yield on the 10-year note rising 0.24 percentage points, on course for its biggest one-week move in a year.Joe Rennison, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
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The design cues of the hands, hour markers, and even lugs are Vacheron design at their best, with sharp, crisp lines.Blake Buettner, Robb Report, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Friction should act as a safeguard, especially when choices have long-term implications, such as entering into debt, making a large investment, or choosing financial protection products.Alex Kreger, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
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The Rockets are entering one of the trickiest parts of any rebuild.Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near penetrating
Cite this Entry
“Penetrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penetrating. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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