as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
an icy, penetrating rain that made you feel really miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in accessing
to go or come in or into
a needle penetrated the heavy canvas only with great effort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of penetrating
Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2023
Nachmanides takes a different approach and offers perhaps the most penetrating psychological insight.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2022
Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 30 Dec. 2025
For many years now, archaeologists and scientists have been running a series of non-invasive explorations at the site, including ground-penetrating radar mapping of the internal structure.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penetrating
Adjective
Those pictures are much more penetrating then the pictures of walls with bullet holes.
—Verb
Gentle products designed for wood floors and a damp mop will clean your hardwood floors without penetrating the protective top layer.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for penetrating
Adjective
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Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
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The conservative activist’s 42-minute video posted the day after Christmas quickly spread, prompting stepped up immigration enforcement, frozen federal funds and more biting rhetoric against the Somali community from President Donald Trump.—
Verb
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The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension accuses the FBI of blocking it from accessing evidence in the investigation.—
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At full capacity, Sierra-at-Tahoe spans 2,000 acres, with 14 lifts accessing 50 trails and 2,212 vertical feet of skiable terrain, where beginners can take lessons and make their first runs on gentle slopes.—
Adjective
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Pair it with a small, dessert-sized Greek coffee, which isn’t as bitter as espresso, for a perfect treat yourself moment under $10.—
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That includes losing to their bitter rivals with the biggest playoff collapse in franchise history.—
Verb
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When the sun goes down, three beams of light will illuminate the sky over the town that was, piercing the darkness that this time last year was lit with the unholy glow of a fire raging, with no end in sight.—
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In addition to a new piercing placement, North also wore one of her new Christmas presents, a 106-carat diamond skull pendant that was gifted by mom Kardashian, 45.—
Adjective
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The numbers mark a sharp reversal from a spike in violence during the worst years of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
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The blazer of Middleton’s look included sharp shoulders with sinuous lapels and angular pockets at the waist.—
Verb
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Earlier this week, Germany warned its airlines against entering Iranian airspace.—
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Sutherland is accused of entering the vehicle and physically assaulting the driver, police said.—
Cite this Entry
“Penetrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penetrating. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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