1
as in violation
the act of forcing a person to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse
an international law defining rape as a war crime
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2
as in kidnaping
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal
the legend of the rape of the Sabine women by the ancient Romans was frequently depicted in classical art
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Recent Examples of rape
Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 30 July 2025
Thomas Partey, the footballer accused of rape, will feature on the Premier League’s official trading cards when they are released next month — after Arsenal rubber-stamped his inclusion.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 29 July 2025
Paul Gallagher, the older brother of Oasis musicians Liam and Noel Gallagher, has been charged with rape and multiple instances of physical abuse following a police investigation, according to multiple reports.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 28 July 2025
Muller also faced state charges for burglary, robbery, kidnapping and two counts of rape.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 July 2025
British actor Micheal Ward, star of Top Boy and more recently, Ari Aster’s Cannes-debuting film Eddington, has been charged with rape.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025
Chevalier Adams, 39, was indicted on three counts of rape and also charged with kidnapping, importuning and grooming, according to a news release from the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 July 2025
She is charged with two counts of rape, 12 counts of child molesting and two counts of child exploitation.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
Black’s most high-profile legal victory was arguably the successful defense of Smith after the Kennedy-family offspring was accused of rape in 1991.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025
John Annese, New York Daily News, 27 July 2025
On the fourth night of her engagement, she was raped in her room at a Howard Johnson Motel Lodge.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 17 July 2025
Tragedy struck in 1974 when Francis was attacked and raped by a stranger in her hotel room following a performance at the Westbury Music Fair in Westbury, NY.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 17 July 2025
Five Black and Brown teenagers were arrested and wrongly charged with raping and beating a female Central Park jogger.
—Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
In 1974, the singer was beaten and raped at knifepoint at a motel after performing at a music festival in Westbury, N.Y.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 17 July 2025
Taeil and Hong followed them separately and raped the woman at Lee’s home.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
Taeil and two others were accused of raping an intoxicated Chinese tourist who visited South Korea last year, according to the Times.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 10 July 2025
At the time of that drawing, I had just been raped by a man twice my age weeks before.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025
Noun
In April 2024, Lateral officer Myron Howard, who was with the department for one year, was charged with rape, criminal confinement, official misconduct, making an unlawful proposition, public indecency and public nudity.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 30 July 2025
Thomas Partey, the footballer accused of rape, will feature on the Premier League’s official trading cards when they are released next month — after Arsenal rubber-stamped his inclusion.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 29 July 2025
Paul Gallagher, the older brother of Oasis musicians Liam and Noel Gallagher, has been charged with rape and multiple instances of physical abuse following a police investigation, according to multiple reports.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 28 July 2025
Muller also faced state charges for burglary, robbery, kidnapping and two counts of rape.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 July 2025
British actor Micheal Ward, star of Top Boy and more recently, Ari Aster’s Cannes-debuting film Eddington, has been charged with rape.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025
Chevalier Adams, 39, was indicted on three counts of rape and also charged with kidnapping, importuning and grooming, according to a news release from the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office.
—Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 July 2025
She is charged with two counts of rape, 12 counts of child molesting and two counts of child exploitation.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
Black’s most high-profile legal victory was arguably the successful defense of Smith after the Kennedy-family offspring was accused of rape in 1991.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025
Verb
The attacker forced her into a bedroom, raped her, then swiped her phone, a knife and bed sheets before leaving, NBC 4 New York reported.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 27 July 2025
On the fourth night of her engagement, she was raped in her room at a Howard Johnson Motel Lodge.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 17 July 2025
Tragedy struck in 1974 when Francis was attacked and raped by a stranger in her hotel room following a performance at the Westbury Music Fair in Westbury, NY.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 17 July 2025
Five Black and Brown teenagers were arrested and wrongly charged with raping and beating a female Central Park jogger.
—Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
In 1974, the singer was beaten and raped at knifepoint at a motel after performing at a music festival in Westbury, N.Y.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 17 July 2025
Taeil and Hong followed them separately and raped the woman at Lee’s home.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
Taeil and two others were accused of raping an intoxicated Chinese tourist who visited South Korea last year, according to the Times.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 10 July 2025
At the time of that drawing, I had just been raped by a man twice my age weeks before.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rape
Noun
-
The Seattle resident asserted that being blocked was a violation of her First Amendment right.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 July 2025
-
When an agent malfunctions in a production environment, the potential consequences include operational disruptions, security breaches, compliance violations and reputational damage.—
Olga Megorskaya,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Under the proposal, violating the permit restrictions would carry a $150 fine.—
John Tuohy,
IndyStar,
23 July 2025
-
Then, in November 2023, a mistrial was declared in a federal trial over whether Hankison violated the civil rights of Taylor, her boyfriend and neighbors after the jury could not come to a decision.—
Josh Wood,
The Courier-Journal,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.—
Jacky Wong,
WSJ,
6 Feb. 2023
-
Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2023
Noun
-
Officers reviewed a surveillance video that confirmed the account of the abduction.—
Ariela Lopez,
jsonline.com,
21 July 2025
-
New York State Police now say there is no indication that an abduction happened.—
Stephen Sorace , Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
Verb
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So far nothing is forcing the city to even help arrest immigrants, even if Immigration and Customs Enforcement asks. Ohio State Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania) has introduced House Bill 26, which directs state and local authorities to assist ICE.—
Sharon Coolidge,
The Enquirer,
30 July 2025
-
In 2022, then-Land Commissioner George P. Bush forced Paxton into a runoff in his bid for a third term for attorney general.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rape. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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