1
as in indictment
a formal claim of criminal wrongdoing against a person
the headlines in the paper today are all about the mayor facing an embezzlement rap
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the doctor used a little hammer to give me a rap on the knee to test my reflexes
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3
as in blame
responsibility for wrongdoing or failure
would sooner take the rap for the missing money than tell on his friend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in chat
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this
after our pickup softball game, I had a friendly rap with a couple of the guys in the park
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in damn
the smallest amount or part imaginable
I don't care a rap about losing that old jacket
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1
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
a childhood memory of the time he got his knuckles rapped for trying to steal candy from the corner store
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2
as in to drum
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
the impatient man was rapping his knuckles on the door, hoping to wake up the sleeping attendant
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as in to chat
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
the guys at the gym never seem to tire about rapping about basketball
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1
as in to entrance
to fill with overwhelming emotion (as wonder or delight)
concertgoers were utterly rapped by the power of Handel's oratorio
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2
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
suddenly the hawk swooped down and rapped the unwary rodent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rap
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Both songs earned best rap song nominations.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026
Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
Jarico Anderson, who raps under the stage name Dreamllife Rizzy, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rap
Noun
While Toy Story 5 doesn’t have a post-credits scene, Lilypad and the toy Pizza Sunglasses appear as the credits wind down to perform a rap song that Lilypad began to play earlier in the film.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Both songs earned best rap song nominations.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026
Verb
Police said he had been removed from admittance because all available seats were taken, prompting Loevy to rap on the building’s glass entrance door, which broke.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
Jarico Anderson, who raps under the stage name Dreamllife Rizzy, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rap
Noun
-
The Afghan national accused of carrying out a deadly ambush-style shooting targeting National Guard members near the White House pleaded not guilty Tuesday to all charges in a 17-count federal superseding indictment.—
Bonny Chu , Jake Gibson,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
-
The 32-year-old Rozier was charged with two counts this past fall, but prosecutors added two new charges last month in a superseding indictment.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Officers said that Samartino quickly assessed the situation and immediately began administering back blows to the infant.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
-
These were both devastating blows since the public saw them each as the face and voice of the groups, even though there were other very talented singes and songwriters in the bands.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
If family dynamics feel tender, step back from blame and set a simple house rule that gives you breathing room without closing your heart.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
-
A lot of the blame can go toward his split-finger, which is living in the middle or top of the strike zone too often.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Copy, paste and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT, and keep the same chat window open so the context carries through.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
In February 2026, Maher resurfaced their feud during a chat with Kimmel’s former The Man Show cohost Adam Carolla.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
And if that is to be the case, most Chicagoans do not give a damn whether the team goes to Arlington Heights or Hammond.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2026
-
In a world of drivers mostly ruled by their corporate sponsors, Busch was an otherworldly talent who simply did not give a damn.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Israeli strikes hit several towns in southern Lebanon on Saturday morning local time, killing at least five people, Lebanese state-run National News Agency reported, despite Israel and Hezbollah renewing their truce Friday.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
Temperatures are expected to soar on June 22 in parts of Oregon and Washington, possibly hitting 100 degrees in Portland and at least 90 degrees in Seattle.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Han starts drumming on the table with his empty cup.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Nilles, meanwhile, won over fans from her first cymbal crash and wove through every drumming nuance created by Peart.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
There were cartoons while dressing children, evening news while cooking dinner, and, before bed, families watched mutely as onscreen families laughed and talked.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Sehic said there were many people at the restaurant at the time, and said Campbell was talking to someone else at the bar when he was approached by Harakh.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rap. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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