lapped 1 of 2

past tense of lap
1
as in washed
to flow along or against the waves gently lapped the sandy shore

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
3
as in rippled
to move with a splashing motion a stiff breeze that was causing the lake waters to lap against the hull with some force

Synonyms & Similar Words

lapped

2 of 2

verb (2)

past tense of lap

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 lapped
Verb
The audience of employees lapped up every word, giggled at every dad joke. Claire Stapleton, New Yorker, 18 July 2026 In 2021, then-F1 race director Michael Masi incorrectly applied the rules around such a situation and did not let all lapped runners overtake. Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 7 July 2026 Even then, after days of heavy rain, polluted lagoon water lapped at the edges of the city. Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026 In a darkly symbolic moment, he was lapped by his own teammate around Lap 54. Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 7 June 2026 The sitting district attorney appears to have lapped her challengers several times over in fundraising. Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026 Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas, is an ideal home base for exploring the United States’ closest Caribbean neighbor, thanks to its dreamy beaches lapped by impossibly blue water and resorts ranging from humble to haute. Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026 The rising water lapped at the wheels of the plane. Ben East, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026 Luna, the family’s Labradoodle, waddled in and lapped water from the bowl. Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lapped
Verb
  • Whether due to size constraints, residue transfer, or bacterial contamination, these items should be washed in your dishwasher alone.
    Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2026
  • Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite people acquire by eating fresh produce grown or washed with water carrying human waste.
    John Drake, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Verb
  • Adidas reportedly spent $67 million on its hero film, Backyard Legends, while Nike also splashed heavily on talent — Kim Kardashian, Kylian Mbappé, Central Cee, and LeBron James, among others — for its competing short, Rip the Script.
    Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 16 July 2026
  • The booster successfully came back down to Earth and splashed down in the Gulf as planned and all six of Starship's engines powered it into successful orbital insertion.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • An audible gasp rippled through the room after the tally of the votes was announced for BPC-157.
    Alana Semuels, Time, 23 July 2026
  • The stock hit a bump in late June after Apple announced price increases across its MacBook and iPad lineup as higher memory costs rippled through the technology industry.
    Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Verb
  • Feely and Shah overlapped on the Jets during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, when Shah worked home games as an airway management physician, according to his campaign.
    Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 23 July 2026
  • After the European Commission found that the latest version of the bill overlapped with the EU’s Digital Services Act, which sets strict rules aimed at keeping internet users safe online, lawmakers held final negotiations Monday.
    ABC News, ABC News, 21 July 2026
Verb
  • Willmore drove it to the farm and wrapped its legs with wire, preparing it for hanging.
    Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • The Yes tour wrapped a month later with a gig in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that marked keyboardist Patrick Moraz’s final show in the band.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2026
Verb
  • MacInnes and Ghost had bathed together in a Sydney apartment after Ghost experienced a medical issue.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 24 July 2026
  • The dispute between the two actors centered on an incident in September 2023 when MacInnes and one of the film's producers went swimming at the city's Bondi Beach and subsequently bathed together.
    Alasdair Pal, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Verb
  • Long-simmering frustrations with corruption and youth unemployment have bubbled over into India’s streets.
    Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 23 July 2026
  • Earlier in the episode, the bad blood between Tamra and Shannon Storms Beador over the last few seasons bubbled up in the storyline.
    Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • Chicago experienced some of the country’s worst air quality on Thursday and is still enveloped in a cloud of smoke.
    Dakota Smith, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • Footage circulated of chaos ensuing on the beach in the jet’s wake, as sand enveloped people and towels, tents and chairs got blown around.
    Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Lapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lapped. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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