1.   Then as the first shrill blast pierced the air he slammed the car into gear and glared at her.

2.   A scream pierces the air, shattering the arboreal peace of this swath of brushland north of San Antonio.

3.   But the sweet autumn air was not pierced by such eruptions that afternoon.

4.   Grunts and yells pierce the air.

5.   Gymnast Vanessa Atler pierces the air like a declarative sentence, leaving a vapor trail of exclamation points.

6.   Her hornlike voice pierced the air.

7.   Listen to the stifled choking noises that periodically pierce the air.

8.   On this night, screams pierce the air from an infant whose body is dotted with a bloody rash.

9.   Patrons at the Patagonia restaurant in Buenos Aires were expecting a quiet dinner on Saturday when suddenly the wail of sirens pierced the air.

10.   Seconds later, a high-pitched peal of fear pierces the air.