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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lapping (up)
Verb
-
All of it timed perfectly for a year that Pittsburgh wouldn't just be welcoming football fans, but the country back to its roots.—
Jessica Riley,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026 -
Universities must become lifelong institutions, welcoming the 70-year-old learner as naturally as the 20-year-old student.—
Klaus Schwab,
Time,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That had several from the Heat embracing Howard after Thursday night’s close of the season series, including Spoelstra and Bam Adebayo.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Reviews have been mixed, with some critics embracing Gyllenhaal’s bold vision and others dismissing it as a whole lot of sound and fury, signifying zilch.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Lapping (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lapping%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
