1
as in indictment
a formal claim of criminal wrongdoing against a person
the headlines in the paper today are all about the mayor facing an embezzlement rap
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Relevance
2
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the doctor used a little hammer to give me a rap on the knee to test my reflexes
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3
as in blame
responsibility for wrongdoing or failure
would sooner take the rap for the missing money than tell on his friend
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in chat
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this
after our pickup softball game, I had a friendly rap with a couple of the guys in the park
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as in damn
the smallest amount or part imaginable
I don't care a rap about losing that old jacket
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1
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
a childhood memory of the time he got his knuckles rapped for trying to steal candy from the corner store
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2
as in to drum
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
the impatient man was rapping his knuckles on the door, hoping to wake up the sleeping attendant
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as in to chat
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
the guys at the gym never seem to tire about rapping about basketball
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1
as in to entrance
to fill with overwhelming emotion (as wonder or delight)
concertgoers were utterly rapped by the power of Handel's oratorio
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2
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
suddenly the hawk swooped down and rapped the unwary rodent
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rap
Maria Sherman, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Think breakdancing meets praise dancing, but with an aggressive, battle-rap edge to it.
—Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Mamdani began rapping in high school, releasing socially conscious songs in his 20s on subjects ranging from Indian flatbread to colonialism.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rap
Noun
Treating rap lyrics as diary entries minimizes their artistic value while playing on negative racial stereotypes to influence jurors, experts say.
—Maria Sherman, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Think breakdancing meets praise dancing, but with an aggressive, battle-rap edge to it.
—Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
Reno Goldie Fiapoto, 26, who raps under the stage name Tear It Off Greezy, has been charged with murder and a gang conspiracy in the March 16, 2021 killing of 21-year-old Derrick McDougal.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Mamdani began rapping in high school, releasing socially conscious songs in his 20s on subjects ranging from Indian flatbread to colonialism.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rap
Cite this Entry
“Rap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rap. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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