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penetrate

[pen-i-trayt] / ˈpɛn ɪˌtreɪt /




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.

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But I’ll never be able to recreate the rush of hearing its blossoming piano and strings for the first time, sensing the soundwaves from those Klipschorn speakers penetrate my skin.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

Among these are tiny microparticles which can penetrate deep into the lungs and, in some cases, enter the bloodstream, causing inflammation, chronic lung diseases and increased risk of premature death.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Macrophages offer a potentially different approach because they naturally migrate into tissues and can penetrate tumors.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

He said heavy rain could overwhelm drainage systems and penetrate walls, causing damp and erosion, while repeated cycles of wetting, drying, freezing and thawing could harm stonework.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

She had vanished into an intact inner world of which the writing was no more than the visible surface, the protective crust which even, or especially, a loving mother could not penetrate.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

The image penetrates deeply into the galaxy's center, revealing a sharply bent, ribbon-like jet structure and providing clues about the plasma's composition and motion.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2025

He’s been drilling holes in the concrete walls with the large red contraption, which comes with a small attached vacuum that sucks up concrete dust as it penetrates the wall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2025

Light barely penetrates a few meters below the surface, so satellites cannot see deeper seagrass patches.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 26, 2024

UV radiation is emitted by the Sun and penetrates the Earth's atmosphere.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2024

But the blaze penetrates the room, lighting it up in stripes: Toukhie’s panicked eyes; Anita’s forehead, wrapped with a silver ribbon like Clara Bow’s in Photoplay; Rose’s bare neck; Stepan’s and Karekin’s dark, downcast heads.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Over seven days, the gas penetrated 15 mm into the material.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

Several centuries-old trees have been lost, as the fire penetrated their root systems, Forestry England said.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Her eyes penetrated mine as I waited for a loud Tibetan gong to sound.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

In one fell swoop, The Beatles penetrated two more demographics.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

Many and many times she has penetrated the enemy’s lines and discovered their situation and condition, and escaped without injury, but not without extreme hazard.

From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry

Both he and his film could share the same subtitle he used for his first short: “A glimpse into the penetrating insightful examination of the delusions of a bottom-dwelling dreamer.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

It recorded levels of tiny particulates capable of penetrating the bloodstream and lungs, known as PM2.5, at 288 micrograms per cubic metre, vastly exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended average annual exposure of five micrograms.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

VENUS, by contrast, produces high-energy neutrons capable of penetrating deeper into large objects and generating detailed 3D images.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

KBW argues that the valuation is rich but is positive on the fundamentals of Canadian banks thanks to their scale in the domestic market and their strategies for penetrating the U.S. market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

I had just about convinced myself that I had escaped successfully when a quiet, penetrating voice beside me said, "That was a masterful bit of persuasion, brother."

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison


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