plural tarps
: a piece of material (such as durable plastic or waterproofed canvas) used especially for protecting exposed objects or areas : tarpaulin
The crewmen competed for a place to stand beneath the small tarp that covered part of the narrow deck.Matt Potts
This house, half of it's all burned up. They live there, the burned part's covered with a tarp, with their dogs, and they must have at least ten.Katya Reno

Examples of tarp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web It was noted there were tarps and other construction materials on or about the building that seemed to indicate it was being renovated. Steven Mross, arkansasonline.com, 7 Apr. 2024 The hillside work involved removing debris, grading and compacting the slope, installing pins, and placing plastic tarps and stakes. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024 The men went through the family’s smartphones, then spilled over their bags of olives and took the empty sacks along with their generator, tarps and all of their harvesting equipment, according to Abu Awad and other family members. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024 Emergency shelter: Packing a tent, space blanket, tarp and bivy can help you be prepared if severe weather breaks out or your plan takes a turn. Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024 The police were on the scene as tarps and belongings were dragged away. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024 If your hydrangea is on the verge of blooming, cover it with a blanket or tarp until the cold snap passes. Patricia S York, Southern Living, 18 Mar. 2024 Concerns from elementary school parents over sightings of the man with a weapon resulted in Broadwater Elementary School staff covering a playground fence in tarp in August, when the school year began at the end of the month, the Billings Gazette reported. Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 26 Mar. 2024 Nearby, her students are hustling around on a bright blue tarp, rolling out heavy cylinders of compressed gas and fiddling with boxes of electronics. Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tarp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tarp was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near tarp

Cite this Entry

“Tarp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tarp. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

tarp

noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tarp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!