penetrate

[ pen-i-treyt ]

/ ˈpɛn ɪˌtreɪt /

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See synonyms for: penetrate / penetrated / penetrates / penetrating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), pen·e·trat·ed, pen·e·trat·ing.

to pierce or pass into or through: The bullet penetrated the wall. The fog lights penetrated the mist.

to enter the interior of: to penetrate a forest.

to enter and diffuse itself through; permeate.

to arrive at the truth or meaning of; understand; comprehend: to penetrate a mystery.

to obtain a share of (a market): to penetrate the Canadian coffee market.

to affect or impress (the mind or feelings) deeply.

to extend influence, usually peacefully, into the affairs of (another country).

verb (used without object), pen·e·trat·ed, pen·e·trat·ing.

to enter, reach, or pass through something, as by piercing: We penetrated to the interior of the Kasbah.

to be diffused through something.

to understand or read the meaning of something.

to have a deep effect or impact on someone.

OTHER WORDS FOR penetrate

4 fathom, discern.

6 touch.

See synonyms for penetrate on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of penetrate

1520–30; <Latin penetrātus (past participle of penetrāre), equivalent to penet-, variant stem of penitus deep down + -r- (probably by analogy with intus inside: intrāre to enter) + -ātus + -ate¹

synonym study for penetrate

1. See pierce.

OTHER WORDS FROM penetrate

pen·e·tra·tor, nounpre·pen·e·trate, verb (used with object), pre·pen·e·trat·ed, pre·pen·e·trat·ing.un·pen·e·trat·ed, adjective

Words nearby penetrate

peneplain, penetrable, penetralia, penetrance, penetrant, penetrate, penetrating, penetration, penetration aid, penetrative, penetrometer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use penetrate in a sentence

It also helps to penetrate the local market by focusing on local SEO.
Seven enterprise SEO strategies and tactics that really work|Harpreet Munjal|February 8, 2021|Search Engine Watch
She complied out of fear, she testified, and Salsman allegedly penetrated her without consent.
A district attorney sexually assaulted abuse victims on his office desk, authorities said. Then he allegedly pressured them to lie about it.|Katie Shepherd|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
Although Dunn didn’t directly participate, he said members of his Boogaloo faction helped fire up the crowd and “may” have penetrated the building.
The Boogaloo Bois Have Guns, Criminal Records and Military Training. Now They Want to Overthrow the Government.|by A.C. Thompson, ProPublica, and Lila Hassan and Karim Hajj, FRONTLINE|February 1, 2021|ProPublica
If light can’t easily penetrate through the mask, it’s likely an effective one.
What you can do right now to protect yourself from the new COVID-19 variants|Claire Maldarelli|January 29, 2021|Popular-Science

Some of the venues may be in cities where Verizon has already installed 5G gear outdoors, but 5G signals don’t penetrate buildings well, requiring additional equipment inside the music venues.
Verizon to expand fast 5G to NFL stadiums, music venues, and UPS delivery drones|Aaron Pressman|January 12, 2021|Fortune
He remains busy trying to penetrate the shield with something much smarter.
A Gift to the Jihadis: The Unseen Airport Security Threat|Clive Irving|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How ironic that the Hermit Kingdom is taking the blame for our first real look inside a clique that not even Vice dares penetrate.
Pyongyang Shuffle: Hollywood In Dead Panic Over Sony Hack|James Poulos|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How secure could the border possibly be if 5-year-olds can penetrate it?
Didn't Obama Hear Oregon’s Warning Shot on Immigration?|Doug McIntyre|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The leads in Blue Is the Warmest Color scissor in a dozen different positions but we never once see them penetrate each other.
I Tried Cosmo’s Lesbian Sex Tips and They Were Terrible|Samantha Allen|July 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are some areas in the Bekaa Valley and Hermel where the government and the army have been unable to penetrate.
Hezbollah Profits From Hash as Syria Goes to Pot|Alberto Mucci|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I shipped for a voyage to Japan and China, and spent several more years trying to penetrate the forbidden fastnesses of Tibet.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
Aunty Rosa could penetrate certain kinds of hypocrisy, but not all.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
Trevithick's high-pressure steam boring engine enabled him to penetrate the rock five times as fast as the quarryman's power.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
One naturally asks, then, To what extent can social reform penetrate into the ordinary operation of industry itself?
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
The main is here very low, but from the shoalness of the water we were not able to penetrate behind Depuch Island.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King

British Dictionary definitions for penetrate

penetrate

/ (ˈpɛnɪˌtreɪt) /

verb

to find or force a way into or through (something); pierce; enter

to diffuse through (a substance); permeate

(tr) to see throughtheir eyes could not penetrate the fog

(tr) (of a man) to insert the penis into the vagina of (a woman)

(tr) to grasp the meaning of (a principle, etc)

(intr) to be understoodhis face lit up as the new idea penetrated

Derived forms of penetrate

penetrable, adjectivepenetrability, nounpenetrably, adverbpenetrative, adjective

penetrator, noun

Word Origin for penetrate

C16: from Latin penetrāre; related to penitus inner, and penus the interior of a house

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

penetrate

OTHER WORDS FOR penetrate

Origin of penetrate

synonym study for penetrate

OTHER WORDS FROM penetrate

Words nearby penetrate

Words related to penetrate

How to use penetrate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for penetrate

Derived forms of penetrate

Word Origin for penetrate