puncture 1 of 2

as in prick
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument a leak caused by several small punctures in the rubber gasket

Synonyms & Similar Words

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puncture

2 of 2

verb

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 puncture
Noun
Agudelo was transferred to Elmhurst Hospital where she was treated for numerous skull fractures, a puncture wound to her temple and multiple abrasions, according to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 18 June 2025 The Zainichi documentary filmmaker Park Soo-nam interviewed Korean hibakusha who subsequently arrived in Japan to receive specialized care—for puncture wounds, missing eyes—forty years after the fact. E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Verb
Austin is just the first person to puncture that cocoon. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025 Steering column was pushed into his chest, broke his ribs, rib punctured his heart. Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for puncture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puncture
Verb
  • The bullet pierced that victim’s left thigh, exiting then lodging in her right thigh.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025
  • Reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer; simmer over low, covered, until broth mixture has thickened and steaks are tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour, stirring gravy and turning steaks every 15 minutes.
    Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 20 July 2025
Verb
  • The students -- roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin -- were stabbed to death at the girls' off-campus house on Nov. 13, 2022.
    Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 24 July 2025
  • Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were stabbed to death in the middle of the night at their off-campus residence.
    Jordana Comiter, People.com, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • Laws adds that this space is right off the white-wallpapered living room, so walking into it brings an unexpected visual punch.
    Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 25 July 2025
  • My partner called out numbers on the spot, with each number representing a punch.
    Elise Devlin, New York Times, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • Once the first seven vertebrae are drilled, Ross takes over on the left side to drill holes on the same vertebrae on the opposite side of the spinal cord.
    Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
  • However, the noise could be caused by a woodpecker drilling on the gutters or near to one of them.
    Joan Morris, Mercury News, 21 July 2025
Verb
  • Likely to jab at the president as a public fallout between the two over Trump’s spending bill boiled over.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
  • The man jabbed the machete fully into his car toward his face.
    Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 22 July 2025
Noun
  • Exercise creates microscopic tears in your muscle tissues, which then triggers an inflammatory process in your body that results in that sore sensation, as SELF previously reported.
    Jenny McCoy, SELF, 18 July 2025
  • In 2024, Rice suffered an ACL tear and played in only four games after a dominant rookie season.
    David Close, CNN Money, 17 July 2025
Verb
  • This review pokes a useful hole in the breathless reception this film received, while managing to feel fond.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 24 July 2025
  • The dish is almost a tease, tickling and poking you by showcasing carrots such that here a confident argument is made to herald them in as the pre-eminent salad vegetable.
    Timothy DePeugh, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • This was as strong a team as Moyes could feasibly pick from those available, yet the 1-0 defeat again highlighted a lack of quality and depth.
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 21 July 2025
  • White pillar candles are a stylist's best friend, and Joyner will pick hers up while strolling through Sam's Club.
    Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 20 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Puncture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puncture. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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