1
: a foundation or sustaining wall of stones or chunks of concrete thrown together without order (as in deep water)
also
: a layer of this or similar material on an embankment slope to prevent erosion
2
: material used for riprap
riprapped; riprapping; ripraps
Examples of riprap in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2026
Just beyond the café’s broad windows, the waves of the Bering Sea batter the granite riprap frontage.
—Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Steve Price, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for riprap
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Noun
In particular, planners are considering building a low sea wall to bolster the current riprap that protects the shoreline along Bridgeway on the southern end of town.
—Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2026
Just beyond the café’s broad windows, the waves of the Bering Sea batter the granite riprap frontage.
—Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Verb
Crank rocks and riprap for staging bass.
—Steve Price, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for riprap
Cite this Entry
“Riprap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riprap. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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