Synonyms of rape

rape 1 of 2

noun

ˈrāp 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• violation
• assault
• sexual assault
• ravishment

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kidnapping
• abduction
• hijacking
• snatch
• seizure
• impressment
• shanghaiing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• violate
• assault
• force
• ravish

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rape

Noun

Hanoi, Vietnam — Vietnam has charged a man with rape after an American student said she was assaulted while in her bed during a group holiday. — CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, were forced to resign from the House earlier this year after accusations of rape and inappropriate relationships with staffers, respectively. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2026

Their songs confronted rape culture, body shaming and the politics of gender while making room for queerness, friendship and collective strength — subjects that, as the band now sees it, remain painfully current. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026

Reiner hopes to rehire criminal defense lawyer Alan Jackson, who represented Harvey Weinstein in his 2022 Los Angeles rape trial and Karen Read in her 2025 murder trial. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026

The 68-year-old was executed by lethal injection July 28 for the rape and murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee while on duty as a cop for the Mascotte Police Department. — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Long before the rape accusation that did in his candidacy, those red flags should have been completely disqualifying. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026

Cities between 500,000 and 1 million residents saw the largest drops in serious crime, with murders falling by 27%, robbery by 23%, rape by 18% and violent crime by 15%. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026

If convicted of first-degree rape, Carter faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

Verb

What follows is a beautifully bizarre story of agency and aliens, in which the fetus possesses Odie’s mind and helps her to get revenge on the man who raped her. — S.m. Hallow, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026

During the assault, Reyes allegedly threatened to rape the victim. — CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

In May, an 18-year-old freshman reported she was raped and strangled after meeting a man at a fraternity party before returning to her dorm at Tropicana Gardens in Isla Vista. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

The game centers on a male character stalking and raping a mother and her two young daughters. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

Prosecutors said Williams raped and strangled Holland after offering her mother $2,500 for the child to perform oral sex on him. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

The day that she was taken prisoner, on a battlefield near the village of Petrivske, she was raped by a Russian soldier. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Enraged, Bianchi and Buono picked up the 19-year-old Washington on October 17, 1977, and bound, raped, and strangled her in the back of Bianchi’s car. — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Aug. 2026

Haiti has no fully functioning government, its capital is largely controlled by gangs and the United Nations issued a warning late last month about a surge in women and girls being raped, often by armed groups. — The Miami Herald Editorial Board, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026