speared; spearing; spears
1
: to pierce, strike, or take with or as if with a spear
spear salmon
speared a chop from the platter
2
: to catch (something, such as a baseball) with a sudden thrust of the arm
3
a
ice hockey
: to jab (an opposing player) with the blade of one's stick
All game, the Caps held, hooked, slashed, speared, chopped, and bopped … the Rangers' European players.—
Stu Hackel
Stu Hackel
b
American football
: to ram (an opposing player) with one's helmet
… defensive end Ben Davidson set off a sidelines-clearing scrum when he speared Dawson from behind after he was down.—Jim Trotter
Jim Trotter
: to thrust at or wound something with or as if with a spear
spearer
noun
: paternal sense 3
the spear side of the family
compare distaff
speared; spearing; spears
: a usually young blade, shoot, or sprout (as of grass)
Synonyms
Examples of spear in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebLawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2024
Surely not spear one ravioli, nibble off half from the fork and then, after swallowing, take the final bite.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024
Reid employs her signature sharp eye and sardonic wit to spear academia in Come and Get It, a biting comedy of manners.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2023
Read More: The Surprising History of the Bidet Started with the Wealthy and Brothels
As Assyrian nobles were spearing lions from their chariots for the sheer thrill of it, for example, ordinary people were left to develop their own workaday diversions.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
Gallagher said a listing would not only threaten the careful population management program in place but would ignore the cultural importance and economic impact of lake sturgeon and sturgeon spearing to northeastern Wisconsin.
—Journal Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2024
Beginning in 1948, a limited sport fishery for lake sturgeon was allowed on inland lakes open to spearing, which included Black Lake.
—Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 2 Feb. 2024
The double-decker club, quartered and speared, is served on Japanese milk bread with chicken katsu tucked inside, fervent and juicy in its panko crust.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Use them to spear drink garnishes or add them to your cheese plate for easy pick up and serious sparkle.
—Belle Bakst, Bon Appétit, 6 Dec. 2023
Brock Keeling, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
Elsewhere, a fiery spear for the Sun Mask is needed to activate switches that open doors, but players will have to race to the opening before time runs out.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
Some of these animal figures had small spears piercing through their bodies, indicating they may have been used as talismans.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Get the Recipe 21 of 80 Asparagus-and-Goat Cheese Quiche
Use asparagus spears that aren’t too thick for the quiche filling.
—Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2024
The tails twist into a spear with three crowns, representing Denmark’s strong ties with Sweden and Norway.
—Armani Syed, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Fresh Pasta With Artichokes, Asparagus and Lemon-Mint Ricotta Pencil-thin spears of asparagus star in this one-pan pasta.
—Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024
How to cook asparagus Choose medium-size asparagus spears.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 26 Mar. 2024
That scene, a single, three-minute take, is framed like a sacred medieval tapestry, with Oh’s assailants wielding sticks and pipes the way knights might hold spears.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Verb
After a too-brief stay at Vermelho, my luggage-friendly Rover SV is spearing past the vineyards of the scrappy Alentejo wine region, and blurring the bark-regenerating cork oaks that provide stoppers for the world’s wine industry.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2024
Surely not spear one ravioli, nibble off half from the fork and then, after swallowing, take the final bite.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024
Reid employs her signature sharp eye and sardonic wit to spear academia in Come and Get It, a biting comedy of manners.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2023
Read More: The Surprising History of the Bidet Started with the Wealthy and Brothels
As Assyrian nobles were spearing lions from their chariots for the sheer thrill of it, for example, ordinary people were left to develop their own workaday diversions.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
Gallagher said a listing would not only threaten the careful population management program in place but would ignore the cultural importance and economic impact of lake sturgeon and sturgeon spearing to northeastern Wisconsin.
—Journal Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2024
Beginning in 1948, a limited sport fishery for lake sturgeon was allowed on inland lakes open to spearing, which included Black Lake.
—Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 2 Feb. 2024
The double-decker club, quartered and speared, is served on Japanese milk bread with chicken katsu tucked inside, fervent and juicy in its panko crust.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Use them to spear drink garnishes or add them to your cheese plate for easy pick up and serious sparkle.
—Belle Bakst, Bon Appétit, 6 Dec. 2023
Noun
The 21-and-over set who imbibe can choose either a Mango Baja Boi Float, featuring Brewery X Baja Boi beer, mango sorbet, Tajin and a tamarind stick with mango spears on the side; or a Dublin My Vision Float, which comes with Brewery X stout beer, vanilla ice cream and two cookies on the side.
—Brock Keeling, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
Elsewhere, a fiery spear for the Sun Mask is needed to activate switches that open doors, but players will have to race to the opening before time runs out.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
Some of these animal figures had small spears piercing through their bodies, indicating they may have been used as talismans.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Get the Recipe 21 of 80 Asparagus-and-Goat Cheese Quiche
Use asparagus spears that aren’t too thick for the quiche filling.
—Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2024
The tails twist into a spear with three crowns, representing Denmark’s strong ties with Sweden and Norway.
—Armani Syed, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Fresh Pasta With Artichokes, Asparagus and Lemon-Mint Ricotta Pencil-thin spears of asparagus star in this one-pan pasta.
—Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024
How to cook asparagus Choose medium-size asparagus spears.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 26 Mar. 2024
That scene, a single, three-minute take, is framed like a sacred medieval tapestry, with Oh’s assailants wielding sticks and pipes the way knights might hold spears.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near spear
Cite this Entry
“Spear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spear. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spear
2 of 3 verb
: to pierce or strike with or as if with a spear
spearer
noun
spear
3 of 3 noun
: a usually young blade, shoot, or sprout (as of grass)
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