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
In 2017, Mayorga hired a new legal team and the allegation of rape was made public, prompting the Las Vegas Police to reopen the case and issue a warrant for a DNA sample from Ronaldo in January. Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 16 June 2026 The 55-year-old would have been facing a life sentence had he been convicted of initial charges that included first-degree rape, simple criminal damage to property, domestic abuse battery by strangulation, simple robbery, and false imprisonment in the assault. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 16 June 2026 In March, a lawyer for Partey said the player intends to plead not guilty to two new charges of rape after a woman alleged Partey twice raped her on the same day in December 2020. ABC News, 16 June 2026 After being released in 2010, he was also indicted in 2017 on separate rape and kidnapping charges and spent 18 months in jail before being released on a $3 million bond, according to the Associated Press. Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026 The embassy said three rapes involving jet ski operators were reported in 2024. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2026 Hoiby, 29, had pleaded not guilty to the most severe accusations against him, including those of rape, while admitting to some lesser ones, and can appeal the verdict. Reuters, CNN Money, 15 June 2026 Oslo District Court ruled on Monday, June 15, that 29-year-old Marius Borg Høiby, who joined the royal family when his mother Mette-Marit married Haakon in 2001, was guilty of two counts of rape, including one in the basement of the crown prince's home. Gwladys Fouche, USA Today, 15 June 2026 Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was sentenced to four years in prison Monday after being convicted of rape. Mark Lewis, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
Verb
Johnson, 42, was accused of raping and strangling an 18-year-old woman during an attack that lasted six hours in 2024. Cbs Baltimore Staff, CBS News, 22 June 2026 Federal immigration officials are urging New York authorities not to release a 59-year-old Salvadoran national accused of raping a 16-year-old girl on Long Island, warning that he should be turned over to ICE if released from local custody. Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026 Prosecutors in Seminole County are seeking the death penalty against a man accused of twice raping his 6-year-old relative — marking the second time in recent months that Central Florida officials have sought capital punishment in such a case. Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026 In a series of interviews with detectives, Jackman ultimately admitted to raping 32 women in Kansas City. Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026 The woman who survived the rape described in a jury trial how Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Lawrence Tyler, had punched, choked, and forcibly raped her at his home near Baton Rouge, according to local TV station WBRZ. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 17 June 2026 Rapper Mystikal was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping a woman in his Louisiana home. Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 June 2026 In March, a lawyer for Partey said the player intends to plead not guilty to two new charges of rape after a woman alleged Partey twice raped her on the same day in December 2020. ABC News, 16 June 2026 However, in October of that year, the woman was left alone and unsupervised when a man who also lived at the facility entered her room and raped her, according to a lawsuit filed last year in Cook County on the woman’s behalf, charging negligence by Albany Care. Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rape
Noun
  • The California Fair Political Practices Commission said 34 of the violations were for failing to report on time that Newsom and his staff directed outreach from companies and foundations that wanted to help after the Los Angeles wildfires to the California Fire Foundation.
    Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • Stanley’s statement came amidst a major lawsuit by the NAACP against Grok’s parent company, xAI, for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.
    Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • Issa Hamade and Ahmad Harb, both 32, and Sobhi Sobh, 33, were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping, extortion, conspiracy, battery with intent to commit mayhem, robbery or grand larceny, and coercion with force or threats, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
    Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
  • Investigators learned that Canon was in custody at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility on unrelated charges and arrested him for kidnapping, child endangerment, and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
    Julie Sharp, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire in Lebanon, Iran balked at attending talks planned Friday, the first since the Iranian and US presidents signed the 14-clause memorandum of understanding (MoU) earlier in the week.
    Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
  • The prior Minnesota Anti-SLAPP law required that the court make certain pre-trial factual findings which was held to violate the right to a jury trial.
    Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Noun
  • According to Holtz, Whittingham was charged with murder, first-degree assault, first-degree assault on an elderly person and home invasion.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026
  • Atanas Hristev, 44, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon late last month, according to court records.
    WCCO Staff, CBS News, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • More than three decades after the abduction and killing of a Granite Bay mother shocked Placer County, the man accused of the crime has pleaded guilty and agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison.
    Richard Ramos, CBS News, 17 June 2026
  • The movement emerged after the abduction and killing of Lyhanna in late May and intensified as the suspect’s history came to light.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • In 1976, the Bicentennial followed the traumas of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal that had forced President Richard Nixon's resignation.
    Susan Page, USA Today, 22 June 2026
  • An uncontained blaze in Utah’s Juab County has scorched 34 square miles, forcing the evacuation of Eureka and nearby ranches as firefighters race to shield homes amid fierce winds.
    Valerie Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rape. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.

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