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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in chatting
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
the guys at the gym never seem to tire about rapping about basketball
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in transporting
to fill with overwhelming emotion (as wonder or delight)
concertgoers were utterly rapped by the power of Handel's oratorio
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rapping
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 15 May 2026
North wore a long blue wig, black sunglasses and a black leather outfit, dancing around and rapping while on stage.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Numbers-wise, what Yandy Diaz did Thursday night, rapping his 1,000th career hit, may not seem that significant.
—Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 May 2026
Much of the album thrives on a contrast between stark, streetwise rapping and refined orchestrations.
—Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2026
Marcus Stokes initially committed to Florida but never got to UF after a video surfaced of him rapping along to song lyrics that included a racial slur.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Mamdani began rapping in high school, releasing socially conscious songs in his 20s on subjects ranging from Indian flatbread to colonialism.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The girl from Santo Domingo’s bajo mundo made her name rapping gleefully filthy dembow in space-punk regalia.
—E.r. Pulgar, Pitchfork, 16 Apr. 2026
Ye has been open over the years about his troubles, from rapping about substance abuse to discussing his mental health struggles, and this time is no different.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
Bergstrom accepted the challenge and promptly beat the older male recruiter, rapping out 18 pull-ups while the recruiter could muster only 15.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 15 May 2026
North wore a long blue wig, black sunglasses and a black leather outfit, dancing around and rapping while on stage.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Numbers-wise, what Yandy Diaz did Thursday night, rapping his 1,000th career hit, may not seem that significant.
—Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 May 2026
Much of the album thrives on a contrast between stark, streetwise rapping and refined orchestrations.
—Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2026
Marcus Stokes initially committed to Florida but never got to UF after a video surfaced of him rapping along to song lyrics that included a racial slur.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Mamdani began rapping in high school, releasing socially conscious songs in his 20s on subjects ranging from Indian flatbread to colonialism.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The girl from Santo Domingo’s bajo mundo made her name rapping gleefully filthy dembow in space-punk regalia.
—E.r. Pulgar, Pitchfork, 16 Apr. 2026
Ye has been open over the years about his troubles, from rapping about substance abuse to discussing his mental health struggles, and this time is no different.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapping
Verb
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Howden doubled the lead with a shorthanded goal 7½ minutes later, finding miles of space just to the right of the goal and banging in a pass from Marner that split LaCombe and Alex Killorn.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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On Wednesday evening, Associated Press journalists saw residents in numerous neighborhoods banging pots and pans and setting fire to trash cans to protest the blackouts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Chang knows math formulas, but drumming?—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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In Genoa, a school started to offer a course in drumming for people over sixty.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Then, almost two years into the investigation, Langston stopped by the police station and was chatting with a different administrator, who asked Langston whether the initial search had also been conducted in an older database that not everybody on staff knew about.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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When chatting at the Future 50 last summer, Green spoke for more than 12 minutes about his top schools and did not mention Georgia until the program was brought up.—
Jeff Sentell,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Russian media indicated that the hovercraft was built to carry no more than 10 passengers but was transporting 18 people along with heavy equipment at the time of the incident.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
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In a new technical blog, the company demonstrated Atlas rotating its torso 180 degrees, squatting to pick up a mini-fridge, and transporting it while dynamically adjusting to shifting internal weight.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The driver who picked up the goods told FT that grabbing items in the location takes roughly five minutes, while the same trip to a Walmart Supercenter store could take 25 minutes.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
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The Limitless Lash Mascara is especially worth grabbing while it’s marked down.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Video posted online by Kol Haolam News shows the Honda backing up and then driving into the pair of double doors, knocking one door off its hinges.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
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The puck had just slipped through Poehling’s skates when McNabb crunched Poehling into the boards, knocking him out for the rest of the game and prompting an official review.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, capri pants offer the more trend-forward pairing this summer, tapping into the ongoing fascination with early-2000s dressing and proportions.—
Lauren Fisher,
Footwear News,
17 May 2026
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The viral moment of the banquet, captured on video and rebroadcast endlessly across Weibo, was Lei Jun walking up to a seated Musk, tapping him on the shoulder, and crouching half-down to take a selfie with him on a Xiaomi 17 Pro.—
Drew Bernstein,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The straight-talking Benatia, who became sporting director in January 2025 after previously working for the club in an advisory role, fit a similar mould.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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Riley was equally at ease when talking with the dentist, listening patiently as the man described his fancy new house in a gentrified area.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapping. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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