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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of penetrating
Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2019
Nachmanides takes a different approach and offers perhaps the most penetrating psychological insight.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2022
Kenneth J. Williams Jr., Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Under his leadership, Hezbollah launched exploding and reconnaissance drones deep into Israel, penetrating its defense systems which had mostly focused on the group’s rockets and missiles.
—Kareem Chehayeb, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for penetrating 
Adjective
Kamitani is one of the world’s leading experts on the visual cortex, the part of the brain that processes what the eyes see, and fMRI is one of his most penetrating instruments.
—Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2019
Nachmanides takes a different approach and offers perhaps the most penetrating psychological insight.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2022
Verb
Since his debut, the legendary hypeman has continued penetrating people's hearts worldwide through multiple realms, including music, The Olympics, reality television, and snack foods.
—Kenneth J. Williams Jr., Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Under his leadership, Hezbollah launched exploding and reconnaissance drones deep into Israel, penetrating its defense systems which had mostly focused on the group’s rockets and missiles.
—Kareem Chehayeb, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for penetrating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penetrating
Adjective
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After Leaving Mr Mackenzie Jean Rhys, 1931 Rhys was one of those amazing, tragic, ahead-of-her-time women and her life mirrored that of Julia, the main character in this book, which is a raging scream against the patriarchy and a biting critique of how women are viewed.The Week UK, theweek, 2 Aug. 2024
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The sketch seemed to be SNL’s attempt to balance the cold open’s levity with a more biting tone about the wearying stakes of deciding the nation’s leadership.Amanda Wicks, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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That will come as a bitter blow to the workers affected.The Week UK, theweek, 10 Nov. 2024
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In this swing county of Washoe, in the swing state of Nevada, intense scrutiny is focused on the election process after years of staff turmoil, denial of the 2020 results, bitter lawsuits, and criticism of how ballots are cast and counted.Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Blaring guitars and clashing drums are paired, and piercing synths turn up the volume on Gartland’s alt-pop, making for a dynamic project exploring the inherent chaos of romance.Stephen Daw, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2024
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With Bose’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Edition ones especially, the white is piercing and not difficult to spot.Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 3 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Washington could’ve been sharper on that possession — Jayden Daniels missed an open receiver on a crosser one play before the Ekeler drop.Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
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Since 2000, there has been a sharp increase in pediatric cannabis calls to the nation’s poison centers.Dr. Jerrold B. Leikin, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Texas insists its requirements are reasonable measures to protect children, not unlike lawful requirements to verify a customer's age before purchasing liquor or entering a strip club.Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2024
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This keeps oxygen from entering the bottle, which, in turn, preserves open wine for up to four weeks.Jenny Berg, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near penetrating
Cite this Entry
“Penetrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penetrating. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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