lapping (up)

verb

present participle of lap (up)
as in welcoming
to receive or accept gladly or readily a show-off who laps up attention the way a kitten does milk

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lapping (up)
  1. welcoming
  2. embracing
Verb
  • Jimmy Kimmel is welcoming Stephen Colbert back to late-night television next week before making a return of his own later in the month.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • For the past few years, the capital has been welcoming a new crop of contemporary museums and galleries, restaurants moving beyond the farm-to-fork template, and a few luxury hotels, including a Mandarin Oriental and Rosewood.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of welcoming
Verb
  • Angelina Jolie is embracing the art of stepping back as her six children forge identities and ambitions of their own.
    — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The actress is expecting her third child with husband Adam Shulman and has been embracing maternity fashion.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of embracing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

lapping
lapping (up)
laps
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Cite this Entry

“Lapping (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lapping%20%28up%29. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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