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

On Tuesday, Montgomery County police officers were called to a hospital where an underage teen girl reported a rape. — Louis Casiano , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Jancys Santiago, 51, was already serving more than 20 years on a prior rape conviction in Manhattan. — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

Hutcheson is also wanted in Indiana for two counts of child molesting, two counts of rape, and two counts of child exploitation, the sheriff’s office said. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026

In 2026 Harris was exonerated after spending 42 years in prison for being convicted of a 1974 rape. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026

The district specifically mentioned a passage depicting the rape of one of the main characters by her father. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was subsequently notified of a CODIS match between Hunter’s DNA and the DNA in the Clarkston rape kit and the two other Georgia kits. — Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026

The rape was a cold case until a DNA sample was collected from another incident in 2018, in which Lazo raped a 22-year-old woman. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Verb

Cops said William Stephens, 55, who has no criminal record, was charged with raping a woman on a rooftop in Brooklyn 31 years ago, officials said. — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

The woman immediately tried to leave, but, one of the men, 42-year-old Julius Hunter, held her captive and raped her for several hours, the DA said. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

The rape was a cold case until a DNA sample was collected from another incident in 2018, in which Lazo raped a 22-year-old woman. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Prosecutors said the first attack took place in 2013, when Vilchez Lazo raped a 21-year-old college student after picking her up from a bar in the Mission District. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

After 36 years, DNA testing has revealed the name and fate of an armed intruder who robbed and raped a woman in her home, according to police in North Carolina. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2026

Centuries ago, this lord raped a woman named Hannah, who gave birth to two daughters before she was burned at the stake. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026

In one case, documented as PF006, the report noted that the victim, who had an intellectual disability, was detained by the Taliban in her garden and taken to a security checkpoint where she was raped. — Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 8 Sep. 2026

Though the events at Bucha, where over 400 civilians were murdered, some after being tortured and raped, fall within the timeframe covered by most of the books discussed here, only Harding deals with them in any depth. — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026