1
as in violations
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 abductions
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
as in violates
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
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Recent Examples of rapes
Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Around 1989, over 70 women were raped in a string of incidents police referred to as the Green Chain rapes.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2026
According to the Department of Transportation, MARTA's rate of personal security events , including assaults, robberies and rapes, for employees and riders is nearly twice the national average.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 4 June 2026
O’Brien managed to escape the attack and was pivotal in helping authorities identify Gaff, who was arrested several times in the years after and spent time behind bars for the rapes of two teenage sisters in 1984.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Gaff had also been previously convicted of second-degree assault for two violent rapes months after Weaver's murder.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Hospital is an oasis Inside the sprawling slum, where gang violence has left scores of children orphaned, rapes of women and girls are frequent and cholera, hunger and malnutrition remain entrenched, La Fontaine is widely seen as both an oasis and a lifeline.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
At least six other incidents of people directly witnessing rapes and gang rapes are outlined in the report, with all of the witnesses describing victims being shot dead.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
But there wasn’t any institutionalized order to conduct rapes.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
Time, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
And when her brother-in-law, Stanley (Marlon Brando), rapes her, her descent into madness was made all the more vivid and believable by Leigh's precise depiction of vulnerability and instability.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
The girl vomited and went to lie down where Marino allegedly rapes her, the prosecutor added.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Soon after police arrested Bernardo for the Scarborough rapes, he and Homolka were also linked to the murders of three teenage girls between 1990 and 1992, according to CTV News.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
At the end of that game, Alma psychically rapes the protagonist, a psychic soldier named Beckett, and becomes pregnant with another child.
—Will Borger, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Lanier rapes Forsythe during a job interview, which O’Brien recounts in upsetting, unwavering detail.
—Jared Sullivan, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
Donald treats Ivana with similar contempt, and then rapes her.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Noun
The rapes continued weekly until August 1994, when Jaycee gave birth to her first child, the Los Angeles Times reported.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Around 1989, over 70 women were raped in a string of incidents police referred to as the Green Chain rapes.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2026
According to the Department of Transportation, MARTA's rate of personal security events , including assaults, robberies and rapes, for employees and riders is nearly twice the national average.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 4 June 2026
O’Brien managed to escape the attack and was pivotal in helping authorities identify Gaff, who was arrested several times in the years after and spent time behind bars for the rapes of two teenage sisters in 1984.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Gaff had also been previously convicted of second-degree assault for two violent rapes months after Weaver's murder.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Hospital is an oasis Inside the sprawling slum, where gang violence has left scores of children orphaned, rapes of women and girls are frequent and cholera, hunger and malnutrition remain entrenched, La Fontaine is widely seen as both an oasis and a lifeline.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
At least six other incidents of people directly witnessing rapes and gang rapes are outlined in the report, with all of the witnesses describing victims being shot dead.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
But there wasn’t any institutionalized order to conduct rapes.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
Verb
Through these photos, Dominique Pelicot is not ‘just’ casting an incestuous gaze on me, as was said during the investigation and the Mazan rapes trial.
—Time, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
And when her brother-in-law, Stanley (Marlon Brando), rapes her, her descent into madness was made all the more vivid and believable by Leigh's precise depiction of vulnerability and instability.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
The girl vomited and went to lie down where Marino allegedly rapes her, the prosecutor added.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Soon after police arrested Bernardo for the Scarborough rapes, he and Homolka were also linked to the murders of three teenage girls between 1990 and 1992, according to CTV News.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
At the end of that game, Alma psychically rapes the protagonist, a psychic soldier named Beckett, and becomes pregnant with another child.
—Will Borger, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Lanier rapes Forsythe during a job interview, which O’Brien recounts in upsetting, unwavering detail.
—Jared Sullivan, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024
Donald treats Ivana with similar contempt, and then rapes her.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapes
Noun
-
Here are the inspection scores and violations for restaurants within the city limits of Plano for May 31st - June 6th, 2026.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2026
-
The 2010 and 2014 World Cups were troubled by cost overruns and delays in the construction of stadiums and other infrastructure and the threat of labor unrest while global outrage over human rights violations and discrimination against women and LGBTQ people hung over the last two tournaments.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Thankfully, child abductions are rare, but the dogs are used many times to find people with special needs and conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, Bolling said.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
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With the case revolving around a slew of child abductions, Peters starred as Charlie, a boy who was kidnapped at a young age and raised by his captors.—
Rachel LaBonte,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The question facing the justices is whether that requirement for advance permission violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
9 June 2026
-
The Cook County Chief Judge's office is in charge of the program, but no one from their office spoke at the meeting; and no one from the Cook County Sheriff's office, which executes arrest warrants when someone violates terms of their monitoring, attended the meeting.—
Sabrina Franza,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The attack comes as the NYPD investigates a troubling string of chilling assaults against older New Yorkers.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2026
-
During the more than two-year span when the alleged crimes took place, Feigenbaum said that the only person who knew the full extent of what happened was Campbell, with several of the victims only finding out about the assaults after the defendant was arrested.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
In the '30s, when the Lindbergh baby was abducted, kidnappings and ransoms were so common that high-profile people often secured kidnapping insurance.—
Kase Wickman,
Vanity Fair,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Soccer forces a humanoid robot to deal with movement, balance and split-second changes.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
The question is whether the country will modernize these systems before the next failure forces its hand.—
Gregg Herrin,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rapes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapes. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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