as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
she speared a pea with her fork and angrily flung it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spear
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
As people came close a branch would drop and spear the person in the stomach.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2024
Lauren Goode, WIRED, 23 Jan. 2025
The mosaic depicts a battle: Surrounded by a mess of fighting cavalry, Alexander wields a long spear.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spear
Verb
Roman accidentally speared Punk in the middle of a GTS.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
As people came close a branch would drop and spear the person in the stomach.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2024
Noun
Mark Zuckerberg [Archival audio]: The US government should be defending its companies, not be the tip of the spear attacking its companies.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 23 Jan. 2025
The mosaic depicts a battle: Surrounded by a mess of fighting cavalry, Alexander wields a long spear.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spear
Verb
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An off-duty Cal Fire captain was found fatally stabbed inside her Ramona home Monday evening, and sheriff’s detectives are investigating the homicide as a possible domestic violence case, officials said.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
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Jevon Tyrese Fletcher, 26, is accused of stabbing the victims multiple times inside an apartment in the 400 block of Meloy Road Saturday night, NBC Connecticut reported.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Instead, General Livius duels Commodus with javelins for the fate of Rome in a makeshift arena made of centurion shields.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
22 Nov. 2024
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Exceptions from that are pole vault and javelin because athletes are moving with so much force that the spike needs to penetrate the surface to avoid injury.—
Liam Tharme,
The Athletic,
11 Aug. 2024
Verb
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And that’s not all: Ellis says there’s also an emerging trend for parents and their children of all ages piercing their bodies at the same time.—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
14 Feb. 2025
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But nowhere pierces my heart more than German cemeteries, where special sections are dedicated to babies who die before or shortly after birth.—
Blane Bachelor,
AFAR Media,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Around 100 spearheads, swords, lances, and chainmail were also found at the site as part of a 1,600-year-old weapon offering.—
Francesca Aton,
ARTnews.com,
11 Feb. 2025
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Among the artifacts found at the site were 119 lances and spears, eight swords, five knives, three arrowheads, one axe, a bridle, fragments of a bugle, fragments of at least two oath rings and several bronze and iron objects that have not been identified yet, according to the press release.—
Ashlyn Messier,
Fox News,
4 Dec. 2024
Verb
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If the extreme temperatures and limited supplies of oxygen don’t get you, a centimetre-size piece of space debris could puncture your spacesuit, leading to rapid depressurization and death.—
Dhruv Khullar,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
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Bullets had already punctured the porch steps of Mel Aaron’s home in the East Lake neighborhood of Birmingham, Ala., one of the most violent cities in America.—
Eduardo Medina,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
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This isn’t the first time Drake has jabbed the famous podcaster this week.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
14 Feb. 2025
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Johnson, unfazed and ever the competitor, took it in stride and even jabbed back at the NBA star by questioning his skills on the basketball court.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
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This has left a shallow pool of talent to pick from — not every club is willing to accept such terms — and the lack of finance has contributed to them missing out on top targets.—
Patrick Boyland,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
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Answer just four questions, and the Books desk will pick one out.—
Claire Moses,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The question of security guarantees is a sticking point for companies, Ukrainian businessmen and analysts said.—
Samya Kullab and Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2025
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Language learning app Duolingo killed off its plucky mascot, Duo the owl, this week — creating a social media marketing moment that may have more sticking power than recent Super Bowl ads.—
April Rubin,
Axios,
15 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spear. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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