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
Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 26 May 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
But it will also be lapped up by anyone who can remember the European package holidays of the 1970s.
—Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 11 May 2026
The river lapped through sand behind me.
—Matt Crossman, Midwest Living, 14 Apr. 2026
Here, travelers will find white-sand beaches lapped by turquoise waters.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
The Rams’ tight end room underwent a renaissance in 2025, with the team featuring three-tight end sets – or 13-personnel – at a rate that lapped the rest of the NFL.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Hollywood creates silver screen narratives adored by the world, but its institution for visual art was getting lapped by smaller cities.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
Menšík lapped up the ambience even when his aces were met with silence.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 26 May 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
But it will also be lapped up by anyone who can remember the European package holidays of the 1970s.
—Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 11 May 2026
The river lapped through sand behind me.
—Matt Crossman, Midwest Living, 14 Apr. 2026
Here, travelers will find white-sand beaches lapped by turquoise waters.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026
The Rams’ tight end room underwent a renaissance in 2025, with the team featuring three-tight end sets – or 13-personnel – at a rate that lapped the rest of the NFL.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Hollywood creates silver screen narratives adored by the world, but its institution for visual art was getting lapped by smaller cities.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lapped
Verb
-
Everything had to be done first, rocks moved, grass cut, ladders put away, dishes washed.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
-
As its flippers met sand and the ocean washed across its shell for the first time in six months, Earl Grey charged for home.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Below me, the Pacific Ocean splashed and sprayed off dramatic rock outcrops.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
28 May 2026
-
During a recent Tuesday-morning visit, two sunbathers dangled their legs in the outdoor roof pool, while a staycationing couple and their little son splashed in the water nearby.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
In the years following, Beijing funded or armed fellow communists in Vietnam, North Korea, Burma, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia, causing panic in Washington and other Western capitals as the ideological struggles of the Cold War rippled across Asia.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
The ecological shock rippled ashore, collapsing the region’s $44 million red abalone fishery—once the largest in the world.—
Tatjana Baleta,
Time,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
At Sacramento State, Smith overlapped with John Fraser, who would later supervise Smith’s direction of the railroad museum.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
31 May 2026
-
In Milwaukee, Sweeney’s tenure as an assistant coach overlapped for three seasons with John Hammond’s tenure as general manager.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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This collection of poems—Orr’s thirteenth—bears bitter witness to environmental degradation, moral corruption, and the aging of a body and of a generation, all viewed from a bird’s eye, wrapped in the language and tone of myth.—
Craig Morgan Teicher,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
The American Black Film Festival wrapped its final full day of programming for its 30th anniversary edition by announcing the winners of the 2026 festival at the Best of ABFF Awards.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Stand-out main courses include the New York strip steak served with a textural Spanish potato tortilla, and the sea trout bathed in a light cream sauce.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
-
Revealed earlier this year, the interior is a celebration of tactility, from its solid metal switchgear and analogue dials, to its simplistic, almost retro steering wheel and plush leather upholstery bathed in ambient lighting.—
Alistair Charlton,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The Rangers were marching toward that goal when conflict bubbled back to the surface.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Our blind taste test deduced which flavored fizzes bubbled up to the top.—
Emily Heil,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Still, Henry’s late-season surge was not enough to get the Ravens into the playoffs and prevent the seismic change that enveloped the organization about 36 hours into the offseason when 18-year head coach John Harbaugh was fired.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
-
In the dark, predawn hours of December 3, 1984, a dense cloud of poisonous gas leaked from a pesticide plant and, borne on a soft, northern wind, enveloped Bhopal, a city in central India.—
Taran Dugal,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lapped. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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