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lap 1 of 3

noun

Definition of lapnext
as in leg
a portion of a trip we were on the last lap of the journey, eagerly heading for home

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lap

2 of 3

verb (1)

1
as in to wash
to flow along or against the waves gently lapped the sandy shore

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2
as in to splash
to flow in a broken irregular stream the creek lapped along through the ravine before collecting in the pond

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to ripple
to move with a splashing motion a stiff breeze that was causing the lake waters to lap against the hull with some force

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lap

3 of 3

verb (2)

1
as in to overlap
to lie over parts of one another the armadillo's plates lap tightly so as to form a protective shield

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2
as in to wrap
to surround or cover closely this recording of the symphony is sure to lap listeners in stereophonic bliss

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of lap
Noun
The standout nose tackle walked right guard Cody Mauch into Mayfield’s lap, even reaching over and grabbing a piece of his shoulder pads in the process. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 It’s also provided a victory lap for TIFF, who had Barker and Navarrette for a keynote conversation on the ground. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
And several other power players in college football have lapped the Tigers in just a few short years. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026 Even in the early 1990s, one of Ferrari’s most unsuccessful periods of form in F1, when its cars lapped two seconds slower than the then-mighty McLaren or Williams teams, the home grand prix would still carry an extra weight. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lap
  1. leg
  2. wash
  3. splash
  4. ripple
  5. overlap
  6. wrap
  7. bathe
  8. bubble
Noun
  • Their knee-length, wide-leg fit will keep you cool in transitional weather.
    — Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Sixteen years later, the rainmaker still feels pain in his leg.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of leg
Verb
  • The pieces can be worn separately or as a coordinated set and include the same washed trims and back patch consistent with previous Levi’s x Sacai collections.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • When diners first enter the restaurant, they’re greeted by a grand, ornate handwashing bar to encourage them to wash their hands before and after dining.
    — Emily Rella, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of wash
Verb
  • The 10-acre, pet-friendly property is anchored by a huge pool, where guests can splash away from morning until well into the night.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Gay Rogers, who has lived with the flooding for 50 years, said speeding cars regularly send waves of water splashing to her front door, leaving trash scattered across her lawn.
    — Joan Murray, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of splash
Verb
  • Located within the Coyote Buttes North permit area near the Utah border, its rippling sandstone formations can only be visited with a permit.
    — Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The researchers also observed cones of radiation extending out from the accretion disks of AGNs, where fast shocks both rippled through central regions and traveled perpendicular to the radiation cones.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of ripple
Verb
  • Both Kim and Lewis have quickly found their overlapping aesthetic sensibilities.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Lisa Robertson’s Riverwork draws on all these influences, and many more, to evoke overlapping Parises that chime with one another like a ghostly carillon.
    — Ange Mlinko, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of overlap
Verb
  • Each strap wrapped around the shaft of her boots, imparting a grungy effect.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The masa must then be mixed with fat, broth and salt and aerated to achieve the right consistency before the tamales can be assembled, carefully wrapped and cooked.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of wrap
Verb
  • Bridget reads Lizzie the tale of Countess Elizabeth Báthory of Ecsed (also portrayed by Krieps), a 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman said to have bled beautiful virgins to bathe in their blood and preserve her beauty.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The dish is built on bite-sized pasta shells bathed in North Carolina miso mornay and topped with miso cream.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of bathe
Verb
  • To test that the oil is ready, dip a piece of tortilla in it; the oil should happily bubble all around it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • By 2021, #EmmysSoWhite started to bubble up for the same reason, with all acting roles in the comedy, drama and limited series categories at the Emmys going to white actors.
    — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of bubble

Phrases Containing lap

Browse Nearby Words

lanyards
lap
lapdog
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Cite this Entry

“Lap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lap. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lap

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lap

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