rape 1 of 2

Definition of rapenext
1
as in violation
the act of forcing a person to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse an international law defining rape as a war crime

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2
as in kidnapping
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal the legend of the rape of the Sabine women by the ancient Romans was frequently depicted in classical art

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rape

2 of 2

verb

as in to violate
to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent the defendant accused of raping the victim

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of rape
Noun
He was booked on one count of rape by force, one count of forcible oral copulation, one count of robbery, one count of extortion and one count of battery and remains behind bars in lieu of $600,000 bail, police said. Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026 She was granted three emergency protective orders and sought medical attention for injuries sustained during a rape and multiple beatings. Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026 Jurors have awarded $35 million to a Sacramento-area woman raped while in intensive care at Dignity Health’s Methodist Hospital by a former nurse now serving prison time for rapes at other area medical facilities, the woman’s attorneys announced. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026 The text messages contained jokes about gas chambers, slavery, and rape. Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026 In 2018, Cosby was convicted of the 2004 rape of former Temple University athletics administrator Andrea Constand. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026 Alvarado was arrested on June 13 and charged with two counts of rape of a person incapable of giving consent and committing a lewd act on a dependent adult related to a June 10 incident, according to the criminal complaint. Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026 The newspaper also includes a claim of rape by Huerta, who is soon to turn 96 and was known to be Chávez’s closest female ally in his workers’ rights movement. Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2026 Although Julie was found only partially clothed, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported at the time that the medical examiner’s office found no evidence of rape. Annalise Peterson, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
Dolores Huerta, 95, who co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) Union with Chavez, has accused him of raping her twice. Steve Large, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026 Jurors have awarded $35 million to a Sacramento-area woman raped while in intensive care at Dignity Health’s Methodist Hospital by a former nurse now serving prison time for rapes at other area medical facilities, the woman’s attorneys announced. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026 Nunez then began raping her while Jones stuffed rocks in her mouth to try to stop her from screaming, detectives said in the report. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026 Valentino, 82, says Cosby drove her to a nearby office and raped her while she was too immobilized to fight back. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2026 Matthews was first reported for drugging and raping a woman in 2020. Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026 The plaintiff, Donna Motsinger, alleged in her lawsuit that Cosby drugged and raped her after picking her up in a limousine and bringing her to his comedy show in San Carlos, Calif. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026 The dueling settlement offers from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland and the hundreds of East Bay parishioners who say they were raped and abused by its priests are still separated by at least $90 million — and possibly tens of millions more, court records show. Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026 Fellow civil rights activist Dolores Huerta accused Chavez of raping her in 1966. Irene Wright, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rape
Noun
  • Maricopa County health inspectors cited nine metro Phoenix gas stations and markets for several priority food safety violations during the week of March 2.
    Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 19 Mar. 2026
  • By Rachel Smith Environmental groups said the state of Colorado is not doing enough to stop ongoing pollution violations from the Suncor refinery.
    Rachel Smith, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • That flashback thread unfolds against the twilight of British colonial rule, as the impending disbanding of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force’s Special Branch collides with the kidnapping of a prominent business tycoon, triggering a dangerous internal power struggle.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
  • In the summer of 2022, members of the Sheriff’s Department in Adams County, Ohio, raided Afroman‘s home with a warrant on suspicion of drug trafficking and kidnapping.
    Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Democrats in Congress have also sought to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to violate the public's constitutional rights in its enforcement actions.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
  • DraftKings might also argue that a temporary restraining order is unwarranted since if the company has violated the NCAA’s marks, a court could later empirically assess damages and issue monetary damages.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Both suspects have been booked on multiple charges, including homicide, assault with a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition and carrying a loaded firearm.
    Richard Ramos, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
  • In June 2025, trials aboard Turkey’s amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, a Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle launched from the ship, took control of the PİRANA via datalink, and guided it to its target.
    Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who has been heavily criticized for the lack of concrete evidence during this long investigation, revealed that his department is focusing on an incident that might have happened a few weeks before Nancy’s abduction.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Local officials have not held a news conference in over a month, and law enforcement still has not determined a motive in her abduction.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Staffing shortages have forced some travelers to build in significantly more time before flights – sometimes hours more than usual.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
  • The Hawkeyes upset Florida’s offensive rhythm to force six turnovers in the first eight minutes, while the Gators missed numerous scoring opportunities close to the basket.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rape. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.

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