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
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
David Matthews, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
While David padded toward the bow where two harpoons lay ready, Kim throttled down and the Theresa slowly, almost silently, moved in behind the cruising fin.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
When activated, the harpoon is ejected, penetrates under the skin, and venom is released.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
Once the lander’s three legs absorb the landing shock, Philae will anchor itself in the comet’s surface by firing two harpoons while using a thruster to counteract the force of the harpoons.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Nov. 2014
See All Example Sentences for harpoon
Noun
Ali reportedly tried to use a handheld harpoon while trying to access the apartment through the house’s front door before trying to break a window and smash his way inside.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpoon
Verb
-
The woman who was stabbed is in stable condition, and the man is in critical condition, the spokesperson said.—
-
Early the following morning, Anaheim police officers responded to the intersection of Santa Ana and Helena streets after witnesses reported seeing two men chasing Reyes and one of them stabbing him.—
Noun
-
As the fates would have it, Diemer has had a lifelong obsession with Poseidon, as evidenced by his prominent trident necklace, the iconic emblem and weapon of the sea god.—
-
Hannah and his team also built chariots specific to each Camp Half-Blood cabin, with a trident adorning Percy and Tyson’s (Daniel Diemer) for the Poseidon cabin and a steampunk version for the Hephaestus cabin, among others.—
Verb
-
Whistle blasts pierced the early January chill in a now-familiar community response employed by activists in US cities to alert neighbors to the presence of immigration officers.—
-
As for what these glorious creatures sound like, the great eared nightjar's piercing call can be heard at dawn and dusk.—
Noun
-
Yiyoguaje sported a spectacular headdress of layered feathers that cascaded down his back, blue and pink, green and yellow, topped by three long macaw feathers standing up like spears.—
-
Yet when boiled, the sap turned black and could be used as poison on the tips of darts and spears.—
Verb
-
Researchers in Mexico have developed a revolutionary zinc-air battery (ZAB) that keeps running even after being punctured, exposed to flames, or even completely submerged in water.—
-
Their necks were broken and they were dragged away to the bush to be impaled, their bowels punctured.—
Noun
-
The retainer then struck her down with a halberd, set the mansion ablaze, and committed seppuku.—
-
Also, his halberd starts fritzing on the floor before fading out of existence, a reminder that this is all virtual reality—or rather, VR within VR, the metatextual framing of Ubisoft’s latest Assassin’s Creed game.—
Verb
-
Though none of the celebrity moms in question have publicly spoken about the drama, earlier this week, Koma, whom has also produced several of Duff's songs in the past, shared a meme to his Instagram Story jabbing Tisdale French's piece in The Cut.—
-
As Webster repeatedly jabbed his finger, Rathbun met it with his left hand, as if trying to swat him away.—
Noun
-
The shooting spurts of goo, pus, and assorted bodily fluids are not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, but for those who enjoy watching an expert pop pimples, lance boils, and generally improve the quality of her patients' lives, Dr. Pimple Popper is sure to deliver.—
-
The nest hoards of bearded vultures in southern Spain, where the species is extinct, were found to harbor such human artifacts as a crossbow bolt, a slingshot, a wooden lance, and a shoe with an approximate age of 675 years.—
Cite this Entry
“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpoon. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share