rapes 1 of 2

plural of rape
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 kidnapings
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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rapes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rape
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

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 rapes
Noun
Several investigations and studies revealed the facility was plagued with poor infrastructure and mismanagement, rapes, assaults, and allegations of medical malpractice. Pj Green september 24, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2025 Although the rapes went unsolved for decades, authorities were able to make developments in the investigation in 2022 with Cameron becoming a suspect in 2023 after DNA testing found a link between the then-unknown rapist and his daughter, according to ABC. Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025 The assaults, Quinn’s office said, included indecent touchings and rapes that occurred in the two South Coast communities. Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 23 Sep. 2025 Between 1976 and 1986, California investigators searched in vain for the suspect behind 12 homicides, 45 rapes, and 120 burglaries, according to the FBI. Ian Berry, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025 So far this year, police have recorded 100 homicides and 293 rapes, marking a 10 percent and 1 percent year-on-year increase, respectively. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025 Legislators lengthened the state’s deadline to prosecute rapes of adults from 10 to 15 years. Willoughby Mariano, ProPublica, 11 Sep. 2025 For more than four decades, the home invasion rapes of two women went unsolved, California prosecutors say. Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025 Estimates of the number of rapes committed vary widely — up to as many as 120,000 — according to data compiled by the researchers, with many reluctant to report the attacks. Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
  • The attorneys argued that state officials' failure to disclose public information prevents them from ensuring that Ward's execution is carried out without constitutional violations.
    Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Criminal violations can be punished by up to 1 year in jail and up to $100,000 in fines, officials said.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But others say the law violates the First Amendment rights of counselors wishing to engage in the practice.
    Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Although the ‘9-9-6’ workweek violates Chinese labor laws, it was famously endorsed by Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma in 2019.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Cyber attacks are sometimes referred to when talking about types of hybrid assaults, or tactics which aren’t open warfare but are designed to be destabilizing.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Rodriguez-Torres' arrest comes amid reports that threats and assaults against ICE officers have surged by more than 1,000% in recent years.
    Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Now spreading to other Blue states and cities, the LA abductions saw heavy protests in DTLA and Trump federalizing the state’s National Guard and hundreds of Marines to clampdown.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Yale’s lab has tracked these abductions for years now, and the group released its latest report on Tuesday, which shed more light on the scope and scale of Russia’s indoctrination efforts.
    Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • And maybe, just maybe, forces Hamas to surrender in Gaza.
    Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, the indie is set in the near future, where a retired soldier’s isolated existence is shattered when a runaway female android seeks refuge on his farm, sparking an unexpected bond that forces them to fight for their survival and for each other.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rapes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapes. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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