puncture

1 of 2

noun

punc·​ture ˈpəŋk-chər How to pronounce puncture (audio)
Synonyms of puncturenext
1
: an act of puncturing
2
: a hole, wound, or perforation made by puncturing
3
: a minute depression

puncture

2 of 2

verb

punctured; puncturing ˈpəŋk-chə-riŋ How to pronounce puncture (audio)
ˈpəŋk-shriŋ

transitive verb

1
: to pierce with or as if with a pointed instrument or object
2
: to make useless or ineffective as if by a puncture : deflate

intransitive verb

: to become punctured

Synonyms of puncture

Relevance

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of puncture in a Sentence

Noun a slight puncture of the skin a leak caused by several small punctures in the rubber gasket Verb a nail punctured the tire I could never puncture my own skin with a hypodermic needle.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Typically, a puncture can trigger a dangerous chain reaction in a lithium-ion battery, leading it to catch fire or explode. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026 The Cupertino writers are really cooking with this case, which once again sees multiple reversals of fortune, with Chatlike presenting airtight arguments that PSA punctures and vice versa. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said the ammonia tank was found and did not appear to be punctured or leaking. — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 Like Trouble, Zukenee can lull you into a groove, then puncture that false sense of security with an abrupt shift in tone. — Narsimha Gour Chintaluri, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for puncture

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin punctura, from punctus, past participle of pungere

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1675, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of puncture was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing puncture

Rhymes for puncture

See All Rhymes for puncture

Browse Nearby Words

puncturation
puncture
punctured stamp
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Puncture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puncture. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

puncture

1 of 2 noun
punc·​ture ˈpəŋ(k)-chər How to pronounce puncture (audio)
1
: the act of puncturing
2
: a hole or wound made by puncturing
a slight puncture of the skin
a tire puncture

puncture

2 of 2 verb
punctured; puncturing ˈpəŋ(k)-chə-riŋ How to pronounce puncture (audio)
ˈpəŋ(k)-shriŋ
1
: to make a hole with a point
a nail punctured the tire
2
: to suffer a puncture of
punctured the tire on a nail
3
: to become punctured
worn tires puncture easily
4
: to make useless or ridiculous as if by a puncture
puncture an argument

Medical Definition

puncture

1 of 2 noun
punc·​ture ˈpəŋ(k)-chər How to pronounce puncture (audio)
1
: an act of puncturing
2
: a hole, wound, or perforation made by puncturing

puncture

2 of 2 verb
punctured; puncturing ˈpəŋ(k)-chə-riŋ, ˈpəŋ(k)-shriŋ How to pronounce puncture (audio)

transitive verb

: to pierce with or as if with a pointed instrument or object
puncture the skin with a needle

intransitive verb

: to become punctured
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All