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

Several reporters tried to ask about the rape allegations, but their questions were not addressed. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026

Healey pushed to revise the prosecution deadline for rape as part of her annual budget proposal in January. — Willoughby Mariano, ProPublica, 2 July 2026

The trial — and Pelicot’s decision to waive her anonymity — prompted a reckoning over rape culture in France and beyond. — ABC News, 8 July 2026

Court documents show prosecutors accused Fontes of rape a victim incapable of giving consent because of the effect of alcohol, drugs, or other substances. — Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026

Show actor Danny Masterson in 2013 following him being sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of forcible rape. — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2026

Its New York chapter’s response to the October 7 mass murder and mass rape of Israeli civilians was to blame Israel for provoking the attacks. — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

News outlets uncovered years-old comments on Reddit that appeared to endorse political violence, dismiss rape in the military, criticize rural Americans and use anti-gay slurs. — Kimberlee Kruesi, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Mendes under investigation New Zealand police are investigating allegations of rape against Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes, who has started all three of the team’s matches in the World Cup thus far. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Verb

Her belief in the legal system is rocked after she is raped by a colleague. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 7 July 2026

Walker was abducted, raped, tortured and murdered after attending a Valentine’s Day dance with her boyfriend. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026

But many did not, as the 1981 episodes tell the grim tale of a young girl named Sylvia (Barash), who is raped by a stranger wearing a horrifying clown mask. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026

The woman accused Mendes, Cape Verde’s all-time leading scorer, of forcing his way into her hotel room in Auckland and then raping her. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026

Alicent is very nearly raped by the Lord of Laws, Jasper Wylde, but the High Maester, Orwyle, intervenes. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

The arrest comes after two female contestants on the reality series alleged in a BBC report published in May that they were raped by their husbands while filming the show. — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026

The almost-certain final straw is a Politico report that alleges Platner raped a woman named Jenny Racicot in 2021. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

By 1790, half of the world's coffee was being grown in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, in what is today Haiti, Pendergrast says, where slaves were routinely mistreated, raped and murdered. — James Doubek, NPR, 3 July 2026