penetrate
verb (used with object)
to pierce or pass into or through.
is penetrating
-
present progressiveof penetrate (3rd person singular).present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There are many ways to portray authoritarianism, but “Two Prosecutors” is penetrating in its depiction of a society being slowly poisoned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
Meanwhile, the virus is penetrating remote areas of Africa that were previously spared, contributing to a sharp rise in cases.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 7, 2021
The rise in calls to help lines means the message is penetrating, said Stanton Glantz, director of the University of California-San Francisco Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2019
“When we actually look across industries and reflect on historical data, we find a lot of indications on what is penetrating culture and what’s on the surface.”
From Washington Post ● Feb. 24, 2016
Learning is penetrating more and more; and as an advance-guard, it has the workingmen of the city and the people of the suburbs.
From Contemporary Russian Novelists by Serge Persky
