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
Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Nicki Nicole delivered an unflinching project by tapping into her old-school rap roots, while Trueno remains an undeniable force in the Latin hip-hop scene, as showcased in Eub Deluxe.
—Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Masked agents rapped on the window, demanding Martinez produce his ID.
—Garance Burke, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rap
Noun
The stamp of the vaunted independent hip-hop label—which has built a reputation among its community of fanatical diehards and like-minded rap geeks for its lyric-forward, anti-commercial approach—can bring new eyes to a rapper overnight.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Nicki Nicole delivered an unflinching project by tapping into her old-school rap roots, while Trueno remains an undeniable force in the Latin hip-hop scene, as showcased in Eub Deluxe.
—Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
With his tree-bark rasp, Gabe raps hard as hell and pulls little storytelling tricks out of his bag.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Masked agents rapped on the window, demanding Martinez produce his ID.
—Garance Burke, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 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 7 Feb. 2026.
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