1
2
3
: a string or ribbon stretched breast-high above the finish line of a race
4
: a narrow woven fabric
taped; taping; tapes
1
: to fasten, tie, bind, cover, or support with tape
2
: to record (something, such as sound or video) on magnetic tape
tape an interview
The show was taped before a live audience.
: to record something on magnetic tape
He was already taping when I walked into the studio.
broadly
: record sense intransitive
1
: recorded on tape
tape music
2
: intended for use with recording (such as magnetic) tape
a tape cartridge
Examples of tape in a Sentence
Noun
His eyeglasses are held together with tape.
The show was recorded on tape.
I was listening to a tape in the car.
She stuck a tape in the VCR.
Verb
She taped a note to the refrigerator.
I taped the box shut.
The show is taped before a live audience.
Recent Examples on the Web
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2025
The engineer kept those tapes for decades as well as other recordings that include trumpeter Kenny Dorham, whose performance at the Blue Morocco is a separate Resonance Record Store Day release this year.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 3 July 2025
CNN Money, 5 July 2025
In his interview with Dickerson, which will air Sunday on Face the Nation and was taped at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Burns talked about the need to present history as more than slogans.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 July 2025
Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2023
Artisan guilds and filmmakers balked at the academy’s decision to pre-tape eight award categories, including original score and film editing, to limit the run time to three hours.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for tape
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The store was also part of a grassroots movement keeping the old formats of vinyl and tape alive.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2025
The engineer kept those tapes for decades as well as other recordings that include trumpeter Kenny Dorham, whose performance at the Blue Morocco is a separate Resonance Record Store Day release this year.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 3 July 2025
Verb
In the back room of a neighboring sportswear shop, where runners check-in before the race, one staff member was found taping participants’ shoes tightly to their ankles with black duct tape to reduce the chances of sprains and breaks.
—CNN Money, 5 July 2025
In his interview with Dickerson, which will air Sunday on Face the Nation and was taped at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Burns talked about the need to present history as more than slogans.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 July 2025
Adjective
This time, all 23 categories will be presented live at the event after last year's decision to pre-tape eight competitive categories sparked backlash from industry professionals.
—Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2023
Artisan guilds and filmmakers balked at the academy’s decision to pre-tape eight award categories, including original score and film editing, to limit the run time to three hours.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for tape
Cite this Entry
“Tape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tape. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tape
1 of 2 noun1
: a narrow band of woven fabric
2
: a string stretched breast-high above the finishing line of a race
3
: a narrow flexible strip or band
especially
: magnetic tape
4
: a recording made on magnetic tape
tape
2 of 2 verb
taped; taping
1
: to fasten, tie, bind, cover, or support with tape
2
: to measure with a tape measure
3
Medical Definition
tape
1 of 2 noun
: a narrow band of woven fabric
especially
: adhesive tape
tape
2 of 2 transitive verb
taped; taping
: to fasten, tie, bind, cover, or support with tape and especially adhesive tape
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