punc·ture
ˈpəŋk-chər 
1
: an act of puncturing
2
: a hole, wound, or perforation made by puncturing
3
: a minute depression
punctured; puncturing
ˈpəŋk-chə-riŋ
ˈpəŋk-shriŋ
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
: to become punctured
Synonyms
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
Zack Pierce, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Small fragments can cause laceration and punctures to digestive organs, such as the esophagus, stomach or intestines, while metallic particles can become lodged in a person's throat and airways.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2025
Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Bullets had already punctured the porch steps of Mel Aaron’s home in the East Lake neighborhood of Birmingham, Ala., one of the most violent cities in America.
—Eduardo Medina, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for puncture 
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
The winningest World Cup alpine skier of all time, Shiffrin has been out since Nov. 30, when a hard crash during a giant slalom race in Killington, Vt., left her with a puncture wound in her left abdomen.
—Zack Pierce, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Small fragments can cause laceration and punctures to digestive organs, such as the esophagus, stomach or intestines, while metallic particles can become lodged in a person's throat and airways.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
If the extreme temperatures and limited supplies of oxygen don’t get you, a centimetre-size piece of space debris could puncture your spacesuit, leading to rapid depressurization and death.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Bullets had already punctured the porch steps of Mel Aaron’s home in the East Lake neighborhood of Birmingham, Ala., one of the most violent cities in America.
—Eduardo Medina, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for puncture
Dictionary Entries Near puncture
Cite this Entry
“Puncture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puncture. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
puncture
1 of 2 noun
punc·ture
ˈpəŋ(k)-chər
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
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
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
: to pierce with or as if with a pointed instrument or object
puncture the skin with a needle
: to become punctured
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share