impale

verb

im-ˈpāl How to pronounce impale (audio)
Definition of impalenext
as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object impale a marshmallow or two on that stick and let's start toasting

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 impale Rhaenyra is called into her chambers to find the window open, and Helaena impaled dead on the spikes below, one spike garrishly sticking out of her neck. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 David Cifaldi of Billings fell while hiking at high elevation and unintentionally impaled himself on one of his own trekking poles. — Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 29 July 2026 The involved vehicle struck a metal railing and was then impaled by it, according to a CHP incident log. — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026 As safety regulations increased in later decades, the elaborate hood ornament largely disappeared, replaced by badges that were far less romantic but much less likely to impale anyone. — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for impale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impale
  1. stab
  2. pierce
  3. puncture
  4. pick
  5. stick
  6. jab
Verb
  • For Crystal, this occurred at the end of 2025, his annus horribilis, when Reiner and wife Michelle were found stabbed to death at their Brentwood home.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The teen accused of fatally stabbing a homeless Roseville woman faced a judge and the woman’s family Tuesday during his first court appearance in the slaying.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of stab
Verb
  • The bullet pierced the rear passenger window of Irvine’s car, striking him in the right shoulder and causing his death.
    — Kelsie Cairns , Maria Paronich, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • No wonder some of the film’s most piercing moments are on the periphery.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of pierce
Verb
  • 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
  • The sullen tribute to Payne settled the room into a cool near-silence, punctured by quiet gasps and muffled crying.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of puncture
Verb
  • Others in the sales organization picked it up within twenty-four hours of him sharing it in Slack.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, studios seem to be picking works that come with a hungry audience attached but can still exist independent of their roots.
    — Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of pick
Verb
  • Raichlen’s career, in a way, is similar in that he’s never been stuck in the lane of writing about barbecuing only brisket and pork.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Hopefully, Goover will stick the landing with its product, and stick around for a while to come.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of stick
Verb
  • The film’s pick-me jabs at humor are frankly, flatly unfunny and grating, twisting the film at times into a perverse, almost self-aware treatise on tweeness.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Rainbow continued to jab the secretary of health as his primary opposition throughout the parody of the Frank Loesser song.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of jab

Browse Nearby Words

impairs
impale
impaled
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Cite this Entry

“Impale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impale. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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