penetrate
verb
pen·e·trate
ˈpe-nə-ˌtrāt 
penetrated; penetrating
1
a
: to pass into or through
this route … penetrates the leading resort and lake areas—
American Guide Series: Minnesota
American Guide Series: MinnesotaOnly a dirt road penetrates the rough, wooded terrain.
b
: to enter by overcoming resistance : pierce
This bullet can penetrate armor.
c
: to gain entrance to
an apartment that I now penetrated for the first time—Osbert Lancaster
Osbert Lancaster2
a
: to see into or through
their keen eyes can penetrate the water to a depth of … forty feet—L. K. Porritt
L. K. Porritt
b
: to discover the inner contents or meaning of
a scientific secret which will eventually be penetrated by other countries—Vera M. Dean
Vera M. Dean3
: to affect profoundly with feeling
men may still be penetrated with awe by the divine righteousness—R. W. Dale
R. W. Dale4
: to diffuse through or into
the cold began to penetrate his bones—E. K. Gann
E. K. Gann1
a
: to pass, extend, pierce, or diffuse into or through something
fishes … which enter tidal rivers and penetrate almost to fresh water—J. L. B. Smith
J. L. B. Smith
b
: to pierce something with the eye or mind
strained his eyes to penetrate beyond the thick cloud of dust
insight that penetrates to the very heart of some … problem—W. F. Hambly
W. F. Hambly2
: to affect deeply the senses or feelings
the suggestion might penetrate deeply enough … to make her a good deal more wary—H. A. Overstreet
H. A. OverstreetExamples of penetrate in a Sentence
These bullets can penetrate armor.
radiation penetrating the Earth's atmosphere
The bullet failed to penetrate.
The heat penetrated through the wall.
The roots of these plants have been known to penetrate to a depth of more than 15 feet.
My car's headlights couldn't penetrate the dense fog.
Recent Examples on the Web
This product can be helpful for removing rust from hidden areas and crevices that are hard to penetrate.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 July 2025
However, when the $540 ceiling was being penetrated, the RSI did not confirm with a push to new highs indicating that momentum, or rate-of-change, was waning.
—Todd Gordon, CNBC, 22 July 2025
India proved able to penetrate Pakistan’s air defense system, but Pakistan reportedly took down multiple Indian aircraft.
—Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 17 July 2025
The bacteria cannot penetrate unharmed skin, but can enter through an existing break in it.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for penetrate
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Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 July 2025
However, when the $540 ceiling was being penetrated, the RSI did not confirm with a push to new highs indicating that momentum, or rate-of-change, was waning.
—Todd Gordon, CNBC, 22 July 2025
India proved able to penetrate Pakistan’s air defense system, but Pakistan reportedly took down multiple Indian aircraft.
—Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 17 July 2025
The bacteria cannot penetrate unharmed skin, but can enter through an existing break in it.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for penetrate
Cite this Entry
“Penetrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penetrate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
penetrate
verb
pen·e·trate
ˈpen-ə-ˌtrāt
penetrated; penetrating
1
a
: to pass into or through
b
: to enter by piercing
2
: to come to understand
3
: to move deeply
Medical Definition
penetrate
verb
pen·e·trate
ˈpen-ə-ˌtrāt
penetrated; penetrating
1
: to pass into or through
enzymes that help the sperm penetrate the zona pellucida—Anna Maria Gillis
Anna Maria Gillis2
: to insert the penis into the vagina of in copulation
: to pass, extend, pierce, or diffuse into or through something
penetrating percutaneous nephroscopy or ureteroscopy—R. A. Riehle et al.
R. A. Riehle et al.Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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