Piercing
The crossword clue "Piercing" is answered by KEEN, a 4-letter entry. Used 14 times across 14 distinct years; most recently in 2022; first recorded in 1951. It appears in 4 publications in the xd corpus. Every figure on this page comes from the collection data itself, never from a guess.
The answer
KEEN
4 letters. See every clue for this answer on the KEEN answer page.
Used 14 times across 14 distinct years; most recently in 2022; first recorded in 1951. It appears in 4 publications in the xd corpus. Frequency and last-seen figures come from the xd crossword corpus only.
Other answers for this clue
The same clue has also been answered these ways in the xd corpus. Answers inside this collection link to their own answer page.
- PENETRATING (4 uses in xd)
Other clues for KEEN
Every other clue in this collection answered by KEEN, most used first.
- Sharp - used 139 times, most recently in 2026
- Acute - used 76 times, most recently in 2026
- Enthusiastic - used 52 times, most recently in 2026
- Eager - used 39 times, most recently in 2026
- Peachy ___ - used 36 times, most recently in 2026
- Razor-sharp - used 28 times, most recently in 2026
- Astute - used 26 times, most recently in 2026
- Sharp as a tack - used 26 times, most recently in 2024
- Quick-witted - used 20 times, most recently in 2025
- Perceptive - used 18 times, most recently in 2026
- Sharp-witted - used 17 times, most recently in 2026
- Penetrating - used 16 times, most recently in 2025
- Sharp-edged - used 16 times, most recently in 2026
- Wail - used 15 times, most recently in 2018
- Finely sharpened - used 13 times, most recently in 2015
- Well-honed - used 12 times, most recently in 2026
- Cutting - used 11 times, most recently in 2024
- Sharp, as vision - used 11 times, most recently in 2026
- Avid - used 10 times, most recently in 2025
- Finely honed - used 10 times, most recently in 2021
- Like an eagle's vision - used 10 times, most recently in 2017
- Very perceptive - used 10 times, most recently in 2025
- Sharp, as eyesight - used 9 times, most recently in 2026
- Intellectually acute - used 8 times, most recently in 2007
- Discerning - used 7 times, most recently in 2026
- Insightful - used 7 times, most recently in 2012
- "Neato!" - used 7 times, most recently in 2026
- Champing at the bit - used 6 times, most recently in 2024
- Gung-ho - used 6 times, most recently in 2022
- Incisive - used 6 times, most recently in 2025
- Mentally acute - used 6 times, most recently in 2024
Related clues
Clues in this collection of the same answer length that share a word with this clue, or match its answer pattern when no word is shared. Most used first.
- Piercing tools - AWLS, used 59 times
- Ear-piercing - LOUD, used 11 times
- Piercing place - LOBE, used 11 times
- Place for a piercing - LOBE, used 11 times
- Ear-piercing site - LOBE, used 6 times
- It may be ear-piercing - STUD, used 6 times
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