PENETRATE

v. 1 enter, go or pass through or into, pierce, bore (into), lance, spear, go through or into, probe, stab, puncture, perforate, drill The shell penetrated the tank's heavy armour 2 permeate, diffuse, suffuse, pervade, filter or seep through, percolate through The soothing balm penetrated my aching body and I relaxed into a deep sleep 3 reach, get to, get at, touch, affect, hit, strike Her cruel words penetrated the darkest recesses of my soul 4 sink in, be absorbed, be understood, register, come or get through, become clear, come across, be realized, Colloq soak in, seep in It took a while for it to penetrate that she did not wish to see him again 5 understand, sense, become aware or conscious of, see (through), gain insight (in)to, discern, uncover, discover, find (out), comprehend, grasp, work out, unravel, fathom, perceive, Colloq get, figure out, dig, Brit suss out: Will we ever penetrate all of nature's secrets?