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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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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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 smack
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
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
And, in the process, the trio of ’70s babies punctured the myth that rap is a young man’s sport.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2025
Seamus Heaney, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Busta also received an assist from Papoose and Joyner Lucas, all of them sharing lyrical wordplay and seamless tradeoffs as Busta swung between his trademark dichotomy of rapping to gruff bellowing.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rap
Noun
He is known as one of the leading figures in Brooklyn's drill scene, a gritty rap subgenre that originated in Chicago.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
And, in the process, the trio of ’70s babies punctured the myth that rap is a young man’s sport.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
Black walnuts hitting a barn roof Fairly rapped the morning.
—Seamus Heaney, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Busta also received an assist from Papoose and Joyner Lucas, all of them sharing lyrical wordplay and seamless tradeoffs as Busta swung between his trademark dichotomy of rapping to gruff bellowing.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rap
Cite this Entry
“Rap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rap. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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