taps

noun

plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: the last bugle call at night blown as a signal that lights are to be put out
also : a similar call blown at military funerals and memorial services

Examples of taps in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This eatery at the summit of Cannon’s tramway offers cafeteria food, grab-and-go options, and, most notably, the highest-elevation beer taps in the state of New Hampshire. Sarah Cahalan, Travel + Leisure, 23 Dec. 2024 This lack of resolution taps into the brain’s natural drive for cognitive closure, which according to 2014 study, is the innate desire to resolve ambiguity and make sense of unfinished experiences. Mark Travers, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024 Laura Mercier's Best of Beauty-winning Caviar Stick Eye Shadows are a makeup artist and Allure editor staple for their rich, smudge-proof pigments that evenly diffuse with a few taps of your finger. Sarah Han, Allure, 21 Dec. 2024 Whoever DeWine taps to fill the seat left vacant by Vance could hold it for decades, a development that would have seemed far-fetched if suggested barely a decade ago. Jeremiah Poff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Dec. 2024 And her gossamer guitar strums are as faint as whispers, keeping time alongside echoey taps and supple upright bass. Stephen Kearse, TIME, 9 Dec. 2024 On Me taps into specific stores that accept Mastercard, allowing its gift cards to be customizable across different merchants. Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably alteration of earlier taptoo tattoo — more at tattoo entry 3

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of taps was in 1824

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Taps.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taps. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

taps

singular or plural noun
1
: the last bugle call at night blown as a signal to put out the lights
2
: a similar call blown at military funerals and memorial services

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