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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harpoon
Erin Clack, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Reynolds claimed to have met the first mate of a whale ship who battled the great one with a darting harpoon and hundreds of feet of 3/4-inch line flying from the rope tub.
—Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
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.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
Lovely used two harpoons and cleaned the shark in the water.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harpoon
Noun
The sport involves using a sharp-pointed tool such as a harpoon, spear or gig to impale a fish's body.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Reynolds claimed to have met the first mate of a whale ship who battled the great one with a darting harpoon and hundreds of feet of 3/4-inch line flying from the rope tub.
—Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
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.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
Lovely used two harpoons and cleaned the shark in the water.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harpoon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpoon
Verb
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Marcus Semien hit a chopper down the left side, which Jorbit Vivas stabbed at wildly while missing it badly.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Police in Antioch are investigating after a man was fatally stabbed during an altercation at home over the weekend.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In 2023, the Seattle Mariners introduced a 6-feet, 6-inch tall metal trident that a home run hitter shows off after going deep.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
7 Apr. 2026
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Grasping hands reach out in despair, deities wield tridents and divine lotus flowers symbolize the 16 levels of Brahma (higher realms).—
Vicky Smith,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If Bruce Springsteen’s greatest gift was mythologizing the existential open graves swallowing up blue-collar workers, Mellencamp’s was his piercing ability to at once celebrate and dismantle agrarian fantasy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
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Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Smashing the spears with a rolling pin and dressing them in lemon and olive oil magically tenderizes the otherwise tough veg.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
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And for years after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, no theatrical distributors or streamers would touch Desert Warrior with a ten-foot throwing spear.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By the end of the learning unit, Burton said growth in the children could be seen as their vocabularies expanded to using words such as thermometer, blood pressure and punctured.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
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By the end of the learning unit, Burton said growth in the children could be seen as their vocabularies expanded to using words such as thermometer, blood pressure and punctured.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Those Swiss guards would take that halberd and just take you down.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
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The retainer then struck her down with a halberd, set the mansion ablaze, and committed seppuku.—
Nicholas Liu,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2024
Verb
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Another firefighter told investigators Lewin also choked the patient after jabbing his eyes.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
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Evgeni Malkin was good-naturedly jabbing the media for asking about his future in Pittsburgh.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The washer includes a spray gun and spray lance, plus a high-pressure hose.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Powered from within, grass seedlings lance out roots and stems, beating any competition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harpoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpoon. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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