1
as in banging
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
a childhood memory of the time he got his knuckles rapped for trying to steal candy from the corner store
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2
as in drumming
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
the impatient man was rapping his knuckles on the door, hoping to wake up the sleeping attendant
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as in chatting
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
the guys at the gym never seem to tire about rapping about basketball
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1
as in transporting
to fill with overwhelming emotion (as wonder or delight)
concertgoers were utterly rapped by the power of Handel's oratorio
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2
as in grabbing
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
suddenly the hawk swooped down and rapped the unwary rodent
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rapping
Katie Bain, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2025
Historically, that intergenerational conversation has come through producers sampling older records, or George Clinton rapping Rakim lyrics — not AI slop.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
What was that like having three of the dopest female emcees at the time rapping on your beat?
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 22 Oct. 2025
In the viral video, Breyer is rapping by The Game featuring 50 Cent.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Just hours after the app’s launch on Tuesday, memes created using its AI video-generation technology were already spreading to other social networks—including, for example, a video of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman rapping from the inside of a toilet bowl.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
The séance took place on September 25th, when the loss of Raymond must still have been an open wound, and involved the techniques of table-tilting and rapping out letters of the alphabet.
—Alice Vernon
september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
Collaborators encouraged her to also ditch the jazz singing and try rapping and pop vocals.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2025
Historically, that intergenerational conversation has come through producers sampling older records, or George Clinton rapping Rakim lyrics — not AI slop.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
What was that like having three of the dopest female emcees at the time rapping on your beat?
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 22 Oct. 2025
In the viral video, Breyer is rapping by The Game featuring 50 Cent.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Just hours after the app’s launch on Tuesday, memes created using its AI video-generation technology were already spreading to other social networks—including, for example, a video of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman rapping from the inside of a toilet bowl.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
The séance took place on September 25th, when the loss of Raymond must still have been an open wound, and involved the techniques of table-tilting and rapping out letters of the alphabet.
—Alice Vernon
september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapping. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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