rape 1 of 2

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 kidnaping
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
An investigation was started in February 2022 after the first report of rape was made, the police said, adding that Partey is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5. Ben Morse, CNN Money, 4 July 2025 Robert Paul Lamb, 36, pleaded guilty to three counts of rape involving a minor victim, the release states. arkansasonline.com, 3 July 2025 Sergio Esquivel-Aguilar, 19, was charged with felony counts of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, and second-degree robbery, as well as two misdemeanor gun possession counts. Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 3 July 2025 Former Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore has been found guilty of rape. Chris Biderman july 3, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2025 Watts was linked to three other rape cases in 2000, 2015 and 2019, the release said. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 But, while detained on the charge, Bragg was identified by multiple other women in police lineups for numerous rapes perpetrated by an unidentified Black man. Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 The only major crime category not to decrease was rape, which has seen a 20% jump in reported incidents this year. Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 1 July 2025 Even in the case of rape, brave women have given birth to a child whose fault the conception was not. Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
Verb
These incidents have drawn comparisons to an infamous 1995 case in which three U.S. servicemembers were convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl on her way home from school in Okinawa. Christopher Cann, USA Today, 26 June 2025 Thomas Loden, who pleaded guilty to raping and killing a 16-year-old girl, was executed in December 2022. CBS News, 25 June 2025 In December 2024, U.S. Air Force member Brennon Washington was sentenced to five years in Japanese prison for kidnapping and raping an underage girl. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025 The incident took place nearly 30 years after three US servicemen raped a 12-year-old Okinawa school girl in 1995 –– which triggered backlash against the US military’s presence. Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 25 June 2025 He was also convicted of attempting to rape another woman on that night. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 June 2025 Read Next National Teen was raped on mattress in a field in 2006, Utah officials say. Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2025 Read Next National Security officer fatally shoots man fighting with his girlfriend, OK cops say May 27, 2025 4:39 PM Read Next National Cop raped intoxicated woman in 2019 after 911 call, OK cops say. Kate Linderman, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025 When a youth soccer coach forgot his phone at a restaurant, staff members trying to figure out who had left it unwittingly found dozens of photos and videos of the man raping boys, Tennessee authorities said. Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 18 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rape
Noun
  • Whether they are regulated globally or locally, human rights violations within supplier networks will never reflect well on parent companies.
    Mary Foley, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • While aerial intercepts are intended to prevent airspace violations, such maneuvers can lead to midair collisions if executed in an unsafe or unprofessional manner.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Its Senate passage could come as soon as Monday after days of delay due to the parliamentarian, a nonpartisan Senate rules referee, determining that dozens of provisions violated the Byrd Rule.
    Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 29 June 2025
  • The family of 17-year-old Victor Perez, an autistic teenager who was shot nine times by police officers in Idaho earlier this year, is suing the Pocatello Police Department (PPD) over claims that officers violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
    Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.
    Jacky Wong, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
  • Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.
    Reuters, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2023
Noun
  • It’s been almost two years since the Oct. 7 attack that resulted in the abduction of more than 200 people and more than 1,000 deaths.
    Mackenzie Thomas, The Washington Examiner, 24 June 2025
  • Iranian intelligence operatives were said to be behind the abduction of former FBI agent Robert Levinson in March 2007, for example.
    Nakissa Jahanbani, The Conversation, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Farmland and ranch properties, typically large and illiquid assets, have historically forced family sales to cover estate tax obligations.
    Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
  • Initially, the plant’s staff was overwhelmed, forcing Motorola to briefly backtrack on its promise to deliver phones to customers within four days.
    Verne Kopytoff, Fortune, 5 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rape. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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