She had her ears 'pierced'. = She 'pierced' her ears. [=she had holes made in her ears so that she could wear earrings]
The fog was 'pierced' by a dim light. [=a dim light could be seen through the fog]
The troops 'pierced through' the enemy's defenses.
(..) All it took was a spark. A simple rigged bullet in his gun. Ingenious. Like all great performers, you saved your pierce do r'sistance for the end. A chemical weapon, distilled from cyanide. and refined in the bellies of swine. Had it worked, your followers in parliament would have watched unharmed (..)2009 Sherlock Holmes