rasp 1 of 2

Definition of raspnext
as in scratch
a harsh grating sound the rusted lock opened with a rasp

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rasp

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction after sawing the board in half, rasp the ends to remove any splinters

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2
as in to scratch
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the sound of fingernails rasping on the blackboard makes me cringe

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rasp
Noun
Kirbi, that rasp is so beautiful at the top of your register. Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2025 Her strong, confident country voice shone through immediately in her performance of this Judds song, with just enough rasp to really give it some edge. Andy Swift, TVLine, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
Hines and Pidgeon give the woman a choreography, the dramatic toss of the hair, the hips gone concave, the Marlboro rasp in her voice. Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026 Sea lampreys are parasites, feeding by attaching to fish with their suction mouth, using their tongue to rasp a hole through the fish's skin, and consuming the blood and juices that flow out. Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 15 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rasp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasp
Noun
  • These thin sheets of lead containing scratches of supernatural desires were used to sway a court case, target a rival, or even a lover, as per Archaeology News.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 20 June 2026
  • Different cabinet materials require specific cleaning methods to avoid scratches or dull finishes.
    Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • But the quiet-part-out-loud here is that the Duffer Brothers ditching Netflix for a four-year deal at Paramount seems to have rubbed high-ranking Netflix executives the wrong way, the first source told THR.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026
  • According to police, Foulke, Acrey and Millevoix encountered a man and woman waiting for a ride-share outside when one of the three rubbed their knuckles across a man's head.
    Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Most of the site has been cleaned and scraped, while the work at a nearby synagogue that suffered severe damage is just beginning.
    Chierstin Roth, CBS News, 18 June 2026
  • Her older brother, 9-year-old Charlie, climbs across the nearby jungle gym at a Prairie Village playground as her younger brother, 3-year-old Will, scrapes a stick through the mulch.
    Anna Spoerre, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Damian used to get annoyed with his father's motivational chats about responsibility.
    Claudia Boyd-Barrett, CBS News, 18 June 2026
  • Three hours before the parade is set to begin, paradegoers are already annoyed at the disorganization and slow-moving lines.
    Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • The high-quality dress can be worn all summer long, in playful hues like white and green.
    Sarah DiMuro, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
  • The key to modernizing the pinkish-orange color in 2026 is to wear it in loose, easy silhouettes.
    Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • Iwerks worked with Bonnie Wild, a sound mixer whose credits include multiple Marvel and Star Wars projects, to piece together all of the sound from scratch — every creak of metal, every footstep and hammer, and every tractor driving across concrete.
    Matthew Jacobs, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026
  • Mr Cobra opens like a dark, cobwebbed staircase leading into a vast and foreboding space, all frantic flute and piano, creaks, and bone-chilling screeches (not to mention a slutty monologue seemingly communicated via Google Translate).
    Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The lawsuit filed by the families names Wilburn, Riverside County, and the cities of Beaumont and Calimesa as defendants, alleging the intersection was dangerously designed and maintained, with inadequate sight lines caused by roadway geometry, vegetation and utility equipment.
    Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 22 June 2026
  • No charges have been filed yet.
    Jenna DeAngelis, CBS News, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.
    Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
  • His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined.
    The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rasp. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

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