harpoon 1 of 2

verb

Definition of harpoonnext
as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object she deftly harpooned a shrimp with her skewer and held it over the fire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

harpoon

2 of 2

noun

as in trident

Related Words

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 harpoon
Verb
The chaos allows a Triarchy ship to harpoon Jace's dragon, Vermax, dragging the flailing creature down into the ocean, along with Rhaenyra's heir. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026
Noun
Shop owner John Sylvia is sticking to his guns, or antique whaling harpoon cannons. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 29 July 2026 Bornemann regularly sources swordfish, but his is caught by hand harpoon. — David Hochman, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for harpoon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpoon
  1. stab
  2. trident
  3. pierce
  4. spear
  5. puncture
  6. halberd
  7. jab
  8. lance
Verb
  • Texas Department of Criminal Justice A Texas judge has denied a bid for a new trial for Karmelo Anthony, who had been sentenced to 35 years in prison for fatally stabbing a fellow student at a high school track meet.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Here are key takeaways The victim was participating in but off camera during a campaign commercial for Fresno County Superior Court judge candidate Ashley Paulson when he was stabbed, law officials said in a Friday news conference.
    — Bob Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of stab
Noun
  • The club's name is a reference to the trident, Ukraine's national symbol.
    — Brian Mann, NPR, 25 June 2026
  • The Kings’ success will rest in how well Los Angeles adapts to Laviolette’s coaching trident.
    — Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Definition of trident
Verb
  • Her brown leather jacket was pierced with 60 stab wounds, and her throat had been slashed nearly ear to ear.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Claire’s is trying to recapture its glory as the go-to destination for both tween girls and for piercing.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of pierce
Noun
  • The kitchen’s electrical oven roasts them during the daytime; they’re then chilled and served cold, with hot sauce, a ramekin of mayonnaise, and a pile of pickle spears.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Over the course of the 95-minute run time, Cole will also deploy knives, a fire ax, a fishing spear, various firearms, and his very capable fists to take out foes, but the lock marks a high point in terms of situation-specific ingenuity.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of spear
Verb
  • Hull made a dream return to the Premier League after a nine-year absence, beating Manchester United 2-0 to puncture any preseason optimism surrounding the 20-time champions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • One appeared to be punctured, while another had been entirely broken from its base, a Sacramento Bee reporter observed Friday.
    — Haley Parsley August 22, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of puncture
Noun
  • Those Swiss guards would take that halberd and just take you down.
    — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
  • During different events, the guards will add white gloves, a black helmet and/or the halberd.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of halberd
Verb
  • Workers have been increasingly jabbed while on the job as needle-style medications — more specifically GLP-1s — have risen in popularity.
    — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • To hear Ossoff, a more moderate Democrat in a reddish-purple state, direct a sharp—albeit petty—jab directly at the president thrilled such voters.
    — Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of jab
Noun
  • Additionally, objects of cultural patrimony such as five pairs of moccasins, one coupstick, one Cheyenne cradle board and one lance were returned in the ceremony.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 20 Aug. 2026
  • As for the Speed, the museum returned three ceremonial objects (a rattle, a beaded pipe bag, and a beaded turtle amulet) and 21 other items, among them beaded pouches and bags, moccasins, a coup stick, a cradleboard, and a lance.
    — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of lance

Browse Nearby Words

harp (on)
harpoon
harpooned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpoon. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on harpoon

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about harpoon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All