strap

1 of 2

noun

ˈstrap

: a narrow usually flat strip or thong of a flexible material and especially leather used for securing, holding together, or wrapping

: something made of a strap forming a loop

a boot strap

: a strip of leather used for flogging

: strop

: a band, plate, or loop of metal for binding objects together or for clamping an object in position

: a shoe fastened with a usually buckled strap

Ireland : trollop

strappy

ˈstra-pē

adjective

strap

2 of 2

verb

strapped; strapping

transitive verb

a(1)

: to secure with or attach by means of a strap

(2)

: to support (something, such as a sprained joint) with overlapping strips of adhesive plaster

: bind, constrict

: to beat or punish with a strap

: strop

: to cause to suffer from an extreme scarcity

is often strapped for cash

Example Sentences

Verb We strapped our snowshoes on. She climbed the mountain with a 40-pound pack strapped to her back. She made sure that both children were strapped in.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And at the Sunday post-wedding brunch, Ms. Vazzana wore a crisp, A-line, white dress by Amsale that boasted a low back with a thin strap across and a tiny bow detail which Ms. Vazzana paired with platform heels by Kat Maconie.

Jenny Block, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2022 This soft option boasts a strap and a slim profile.

Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2022 This good-looking canvas option boasts a comfortable neck strap and handy, oversized front pocket.

Mark Stock, Men's Health, 1 Nov. 2022 An adjustable closure strap and ponytail pass-through in the back sweeten the deal.

Svati Kirsten Narula, Outside Online, 18 Oct. 2022 The strap was emblazoned with the logo Phase One — the camera brand of four of his most expensive purchases.

Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2022 The nylon strap is adjustable and designed to fit up to an eight-inch wrist circumference.

Christian Gollayan, Men's Health, 15 Nov. 2022 The side of the packs have cutouts to weave the gear strap into and really cinch down your gear.

Matt Beer, Outside Online, 2 Nov. 2022 In a clip from the talk show (see below), Murray can be seen repeatedly stroking Davis' arm and at one point, taking the strap of her dress down, forcing her to readjust her outfit quickly.

Justine Browning, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2022

Verb

If all goes well, Mann and her crewmates will strap in for real around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to brace for launch just after 12 p.m., the moment the Earth's rotation carries the rocket into the plane of the space station's orbit.

William Harwood, CBS News, 1 Oct. 2022 The tech is cool, but there's still no sign whatsoever that society at large is eager to strap on a face computer and hop into the virtual realm.

WIRED, 18 Oct. 2022 Defense attorneys pointed out that the witnesses had brief encounters with several of the men, mostly to strap them into the chairs.

Jillian Price, ajc, 17 Oct. 2022 One of the big reasons virtual reality hasn’t caught on as quickly as its proponents hoped is that many people simply don’t want to strap a big bulky rig to their face.

WIRED, 15 Sep. 2022 Canoeing is a relaxing way to explore the outdoors, but rigging up a DIY solution to strap one to your car's roof can prove to be a stressful start to the day.

Camryn Rabideau, Popular Mechanics, 17 July 2022 Clark returned home to Indiana, shining gold medal in hand, ready to strap on his football pads and finish his football season with the Grizzly Cubs.

Akeem Glaspie, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Sep. 2022 So the best football players in the world will strap on their belts and velcro their flags and play a millionaire version of recess.

Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 26 Sep. 2022 Those hoping to get a lot closer to the ground can strap into a bungee harness and hurl themselves overboard.

Hannah Weinberger, Outside Online, 23 July 2014 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'strap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of strop, from Middle English, band or loop of leather or rope, from Old English, thong for securing an oar, from Latin struppus band, strap, from Greek strophos twisted band, from strephein to twist

First Known Use

Noun

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler

The first known use of strap was in 1602

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