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
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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
-
OpenAI, which has come under scrutiny for copyright violations – and also for striking massive ‘circular’ deals leading to fears of an AI bubble – said the deal shows how the creative community and AI can get along.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
11 Dec. 2025
-
In late 2024, a city inspector issued two city code violations that threatened to displace the Longfellow operation.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
11 Dec. 2025
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
-
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 Justice Department moved Tuesday to join an ongoing federal lawsuit challenging an Evanston, Illinois, reparations program, arguing that the nation’s first municipal reparations initiative violates the Constitution by distributing benefits based on race and ancestry.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
16 June 2026
-
Following a review of this emerging type of residential rental activity, City officials determined that renting a private residential pool to a third party violates zoning regulations governing single-family residential properties.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street announced Tuesday that the 2026 Downtown Days festival will be its last, citing safety concerns after fights, assaults and property damage marred Saturday evening’s event.—
Ian Cummings,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
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The column urges other scientific bodies to see this episode as a warning that neutrality in the face of organized assaults on science is itself a political choice that risks long‑term damage to research and public health.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Being trapped together in such close proximity forces them to revisit their feelings.—
Jenny Bayliss,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
-
As the desaparecidos pass out of living memory, Gilliland’s book forces us to consider both the price of forgetting the past and the ache of remembering it.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rapes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapes. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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