From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpenetratepen‧e‧trate /ˈpenətreɪt/ ●○○ verb 1 go through [intransitive, transitive]ENTER to enter something and pass or spread through it, especially when this is difficult → pierce bullets that penetrate thick armour plating Sunlight barely penetrated the dirty windows.penetrate into Explorers penetrated deep into unknown regions.2 business [transitive]BBT to start to sell things to an area or country, or to have an influence there Few U.S. companies have successfully penetrated the Japanese electronics market.3 organization [transitive]SSOPPG to succeed in becoming accepted into a group or an organization, sometimes in order to find out their secrets KGB agents had penetrated most of their intelligence services.4 understandUNDERSTAND formal a) [transitive] to succeed in understanding something Science has penetrated the mysteries of nature. b) [intransitive, transitive] to be understood, with difficulty What could I say that would penetrate his thick skull?5 sex [transitive]HBHSEX/HAVE SEX WITH if a man penetrates someone, he puts his penis into a woman’s vagina or into someone’s anus when having sex6 see through [transitive]SEE to see into or through something when this is difficult My eyes couldn’t penetrate the gloom.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
penetrate• As a general rule, the older and more stable the community, the more difficult it is to penetrate.• The barbed wire fences and security shields made the air base very difficult to penetrate.• Federal law on segregation had been changed in 1960; the news had yet to penetrate below the Mason-Dixon line.• However, laboratory tests show that Gore-Text can be penetrated by prolonged exposure to rain.• Among computer buyers, the least penetrated group is households earning less than $ 30,000 a year.• But eventually the staff penetrated her resistance and the girl learned to write.• Dario was attempting to penetrate Nature's mysteries.• Spies had penetrated the highest ranks of both governments.• For years, federal law enforcement officials were reluctant to penetrate the movement.• The fall weather outside penetrated the room.• The sun's rays can penetrate the sea to a depth of twenty metres.• It may then penetrate the side of a tank or fly over the top.• The bomb penetrated the wall and exploded inside the building.• He threw a grenade that penetrated the wall of the building and exploded inside.• Islam has penetrated vast parts of Africa and Asia.penetrate into• Oil had penetrated into the concrete.penetrate ... skull• Maybe that had even penetrated his thick skull.From Longman Business Dictionarypenetratepen‧e‧trate /ˈpenətreɪt/ verb [transitive]MARKETING if a company penetrates a new market or area, it starts selling goods or services in that market or areaThe company has been struggling to penetrate the US market.→ See Verb tableOrigin penetrate (1500-1600) Latin past participle of penetrare 