1
2
as in splashed
to flow in a broken irregular stream
the creek lapped along through the ravine before collecting in the pond
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in overlapped
to lie over parts of one another
the armadillo's plates lap tightly so as to form a protective shield
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in wrapped
to surround or cover closely
this recording of the symphony is sure to lap listeners in stereophonic bliss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lapped
Katharine Gammon, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Just beyond is the marshmallow-white mile-long cove of Maundays Bay, lapped by the bluest water.
—Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
The costs gained from efficiencies are being lapped in next year’s budget and organizations must be willing to encode their own judgment and expertise into systems – or leave that power elsewhere.
—Louisa Loran, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Reporters lapped up the stories of the prepared piano that the young James stumbled into by sheer intuition, never having caught wind of John Cage.
—Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026
While Orion and the SLS rocket were put through their paces during the Artemis I mission, which lapped the moon during an uncrewed test flight in 2022, NASA has never tested the spacecraft’s systems, including life support infrastructure, in space.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
That said, Brian Dunne’s seafood daydream Clams Casino lapped both in my listening history.
—Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
The company has now lapped this destocking.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2025
And in an era where musicals too often topple over into high seriousness, the return of musical comedy is lapped up by the audience, nowhere more so than in one of the show’s highpoints, the Act Two opener.
—David Benedict, Variety, 30 Nov. 2025
Verb
While the Palisades Fire lapped at the edge of UCLA, the Eaton Fire, on the east side of town, came dangerously close to Caltech.
—Katharine Gammon, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Just beyond is the marshmallow-white mile-long cove of Maundays Bay, lapped by the bluest water.
—Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
The costs gained from efficiencies are being lapped in next year’s budget and organizations must be willing to encode their own judgment and expertise into systems – or leave that power elsewhere.
—Louisa Loran, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Reporters lapped up the stories of the prepared piano that the young James stumbled into by sheer intuition, never having caught wind of John Cage.
—Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026
While Orion and the SLS rocket were put through their paces during the Artemis I mission, which lapped the moon during an uncrewed test flight in 2022, NASA has never tested the spacecraft’s systems, including life support infrastructure, in space.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
That said, Brian Dunne’s seafood daydream Clams Casino lapped both in my listening history.
—Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
The company has now lapped this destocking.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2025
And in an era where musicals too often topple over into high seriousness, the return of musical comedy is lapped up by the audience, nowhere more so than in one of the show’s highpoints, the Act Two opener.
—David Benedict, Variety, 30 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lapped. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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