as in overlap
a partial covering of one thing by an adjoining member
the lapping of the roofing shingles should be several inches in order to avoid leaks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
2
as in splashing
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 overlapping
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 wrapping
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 lapping
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 13 May 2026
From my perch on a sun lounger, Friendship Bay stretches out below me – the curve of the powdery sand beach, the impossible blue of the sea and the calming lapping of the waves against the shore.
—Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 5 Feb. 2026
As Amanyara’s resident wellness expert guided me through a sound healing session and harmonized the vibrations of a Tibetan singing bowl, the lapping of the ocean waves seemed to still.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
When the lapping reaches your knees, start to worry.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The lapping of the sea at our language is not a difficult concept to fathom.
—Adrian Vore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2025
So following it up with a powder-soft beach—the lapping of a warm Indian ocean acting as your evening lullaby—is a pretty perfect ending.
—Pippa De Bruyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Aug. 2025
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2026
The neighborhood/area Facing the Arabian Sea, this resort is front and center to gentle breezes and lapping waves.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 May 2026
Cassie’s OnlyFans journey begins with her making content posing as a dog, replete with dog ears, collar, leash, wrist cuffs, tail, and a satin corset from Sweeney’s lingerie line SYRN, bending over and lapping up water from a bowl on the ground.
—Marlow Stern, Variety, 10 May 2026
With azure water lapping sandy beaches, lazy days spent frolicking in Lake Maggiore are a huge draw.
—Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026
The lapping waves that arrive shortly thereafter are an alarming detour, but their presence quickly feels normal.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
The Great Lakes boast some of America's niftiest beach areas—and yes, there are actually waves lapping the shore at this Midwest family vacation destination.
—Kara Williams, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Snyder is lapping Brown to start the playoffs.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
As Rahm was lapping the field at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico, LIV fired off a press release announcing that the league would be returning to the same venue in 2027.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
The Wave percale sheets are guaranteed to lull you to sleep, like you’re being rocked by the gentle lapping of the ocean.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 13 May 2026
From my perch on a sun lounger, Friendship Bay stretches out below me – the curve of the powdery sand beach, the impossible blue of the sea and the calming lapping of the waves against the shore.
—Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 5 Feb. 2026
As Amanyara’s resident wellness expert guided me through a sound healing session and harmonized the vibrations of a Tibetan singing bowl, the lapping of the ocean waves seemed to still.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
When the lapping reaches your knees, start to worry.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The lapping of the sea at our language is not a difficult concept to fathom.
—Adrian Vore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2025
So following it up with a powder-soft beach—the lapping of a warm Indian ocean acting as your evening lullaby—is a pretty perfect ending.
—Pippa De Bruyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
The company’s massive collections of individual data and market-lapping algorithms means the company didn’t need to program to tastes, never mind build an audience.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2026
The neighborhood/area Facing the Arabian Sea, this resort is front and center to gentle breezes and lapping waves.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 May 2026
Cassie’s OnlyFans journey begins with her making content posing as a dog, replete with dog ears, collar, leash, wrist cuffs, tail, and a satin corset from Sweeney’s lingerie line SYRN, bending over and lapping up water from a bowl on the ground.
—Marlow Stern, Variety, 10 May 2026
With azure water lapping sandy beaches, lazy days spent frolicking in Lake Maggiore are a huge draw.
—Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026
The lapping waves that arrive shortly thereafter are an alarming detour, but their presence quickly feels normal.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
The Great Lakes boast some of America's niftiest beach areas—and yes, there are actually waves lapping the shore at this Midwest family vacation destination.
—Kara Williams, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Snyder is lapping Brown to start the playoffs.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
As Rahm was lapping the field at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico, LIV fired off a press release announcing that the league would be returning to the same venue in 2027.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lapping
Noun
-
For anyone looking at how structured breathwork and cold exposure connect to circulation, the research on that overlap is worth understanding alongside the dietary basics.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
-
Together, the top 10 brands—Marks & Spencer, Primark, George, Tu, Next, Boohoo, F&F, H&M, New Look and Gap—accounted for 63 percent of the beach samples and 77 percent of the market samples, showing a nearly 60 percent overlap between the two.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
During an outbreak over a decade ago that killed over 11,000, many were infected while washing bodies during community funerals.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
-
People typically get sick by touching poultry or their environment and then touching their mouth or food without washing their hands.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Powdery mildews produce spores in spring that move to susceptible host tissue by insect or human activity, wind, or splashing raindrops.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
25 May 2026
-
After flying at a speed of Mach 7, Starship lit two of its engines before splashing down vertically in the Indian Ocean.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
In South Korea, the naphtha shortage has already begun rippling through the petrochemical supply chain.—
,
CNBC,
26 May 2026
-
The shift is rippling through the drinks industry, wiping hundreds of billions of dollars from the market value of major beer, wine and spirits companies and forcing producers to cut costs, replace executives and roll out new offerings.—
Jennifer Creery,
Bloomberg,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
As her life begins overlapping with the events of the film, she’s confronted with her own degenerate desires, as the Nazis would call them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
Fields emphasized that Saratoga and Los Gatos share many similarities and overlapping jurisdictions, such as the school district.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Italian Jesuit missionary Felipe Salvador Gilij, who lived along the Orinoco River in Venezuela in the mid-18th century, is considered the first to document Indigenous leaf-wrapping practices.—
Sophia Rey,
JSTOR Daily,
28 May 2026
-
Venus enters your sign on June 13, wrapping you in magnetism, beauty, and pleasure.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The girl’s mother was bathing her other child when the victim tumbled out of the open second-floor apartment window, a police source said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2026
-
Nerra combines the past and present of bathing culture into four products, The Bathhouse Ritual, that are meant to be used as a system.—
Celia Shatzman,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Now baseball is heading toward another high-stakes labor negotiation with the sport enjoying strong momentum on the field, but with the same basic financial fight bubbling under the surface.—
Dan Zaksheske,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
-
The main home was designed around an enchanting central courtyard with a bubbling water feature.—
David Caraccio
May 23,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lapping. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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