impaling

verb

present participle of impale
as in stabbing
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object impale a marshmallow or two on that stick and let's start toasting

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 impaling Hickory Hills and Bridgeview area residents stood outside their apartment building Friday looking at the roof blown off and a piece of wood impaling a garage. — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026 Back in the family’s house, the walking corpse shoves a boy onto the dishwasher, impaling him full of cutlery. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 15 Apr. 2026 Stevenson, who was on probation and is not legally allowed to own a firearm, is accused of killing his victim after impaling him with an arrow, according to the RPD. — Chris Spargo, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impaling
  1. stabbing
  2. puncturing
  3. piercing
  4. jabbing
  5. picking
  6. sticking
Verb
  • Martinez Police Department A suspect accused of fatally stabbing a man outside a California residence during a burglary a day after being released from custody has been charged with murder, officials said.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Jurors heard a harrowing voicemail left by Johnson begging one of her friends for help as Williams butchered her, stabbing her five times in the chest and four times in her back.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • The shrapnel tore through the metal surrounding the engine, shattering the window at row 11, leaving a dent in the plane near row 8 and puncturing the body below the wing, as well as gouging and denting the tail, the NTSB said.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • According to the company website, the glove is designed to disrupt sensory nerves without puncturing or burning the skin.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of puncturing
Verb
  • The woman eventually managed to escape and ran to a neighbor for help, WPLG reported, adding that her piercing screams were captured on home surveillance video.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The company has been piercing girls and their mothers for nearly five decades with 131 million ears pierced to date.
    — Sharon Edelson, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • That’s partly the result of actions by Curtis, like taking customer’s phone calls and jabbing at a competitor on social media.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The show ushered in a new era of winking, elbow-jabbing meta-musicals.
    — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of jabbing
Verb
  • Antioch Full Gospel Baptist Church members who are facing off in court over control of the College Station congregation will meet Monday to determine the process for picking who gets to preach.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Austria has entered the 2027 Oscar race, picking the Sandra Hüller period drama Rose to represent the country in the best international feature category.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of picking
Verb
  • Small enough to be more cute than dangerous—but not worth sticking a finger in the water to test the theory.
    — Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Florida Attorney General James Ulthmeier once again is grandstanding and sticking his nose into a national issue.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of sticking

Browse Nearby Words

impales
impaling
impalpable
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Cite this Entry

“Impaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impaling. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on impaling

Nglish: Translation of impaling for Spanish Speakers

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