Skewer means to pierce something with a long, thin, pointed object, pushing it all the way through. When you make kebabs for dinner, you skewer chunks of meat and vegetables on metal or wooden sticks before grilling them. The stick itself is also called a skewer.

The word comes from cooking, where skewers hold food together and make it easier to turn over a fire or grill. But skewer works beyond the kitchen too. In debates or writing, to skewer someone means to criticize them sharply and precisely, like a pointed argument that goes straight to the weakness in their position. A comedian might skewer a pompous politician with a perfectly aimed joke.

Unlike vague complaints, skewering is specific and direct. When a book reviewer skewers a poorly written novel, they don't just say “I didn't like it.” They point out exactly what's wrong with clear, sometimes biting examples. The image of something being pierced right through captures how this kind of criticism works: focused, unmistakable, and hard to ignore.