Historical Torture Methods

verb to pierce or transfix with a sharp pointed object

• The knight attempted to impale the dragon with his sword.
• I accidentally impaled my hand on a nail while working on the fence.
• He got impaled by that insult from his friend.
• The comedian's jokes seemed to impale the audience with laughter.

verb to punish by dragging under the keel of a ship

• The pirate captain threatened to keelhaul any crew member who disobeyed orders.
• If you don't listen to the boss, you might get keelhauled.
• I heard they keelhaul troublemakers on that ship.
• In some workplaces, employees feel like they are being keelhauled by their superiors.