1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction
after sawing the board in half, rasp the ends to remove any splinters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
the two siblings seemed intent on rasping each other for the entire car trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to wear
to damage or diminish by continued friction
during the last ice age, glaciers rasped the surface, leaving the deeply scarred rock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rasp
The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2025
The engine rasps and rumbles right up to the tachometer’s 7,000-rpm redline—and beyond, in fact, since peak power arrives at 7,500 rpm.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Simon Hughes, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
The reply of my friend and hunting companion was one of those quaint, rasping epithets which only a cowman can manage when everything has gone wrong.
—Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rasp
Noun
Using a rasp grater such as a Microplane, finely zest the lemon into the bowl and gently toss the ingredients to combine.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2025
The engine rasps and rumbles right up to the tachometer’s 7,000-rpm redline—and beyond, in fact, since peak power arrives at 7,500 rpm.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
While Mullan’s natural voice shares Shankly’s rasping quality, their inflexions are different.
—Simon Hughes, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
The reply of my friend and hunting companion was one of those quaint, rasping epithets which only a cowman can manage when everything has gone wrong.
—Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rasp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasp
Noun
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Jessi had made a Skyline Way from scratch, but substituted the shredded cheddar cheese with white cheddar.—
Kaycee Sloan,
The Enquirer,
23 Aug. 2025
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Back in those earlier days, after the catastrophe of 1948, Palestinian politics had to rebuild from scratch, in fits and starts, punctuated by individual acts of violence or collective, more dramatic attacks, born of desperation and hunger for revenge.—
Hussein Agha,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In 2023, an Arlington entrepreneur saw his special BBQ rub make it on H-E-B shelves.—
Matthew Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Aug. 2025
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Of the 21 museums under the umbrella of the Smithsonian Institution, one in particular seems recently to have rubbed President Donald Trump the wrong way.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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There are 617 McDonald's restaurants in Ohio, according to the web scraping tool ScrapeHero.—
Alex Perry,
The Enquirer,
23 Aug. 2025
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Now, faced with the threat of homelessness and the possibility that Kenny could be taken into state care, Lynette is left alone to scrape together $25,000 by the following morning.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Frustrated by delays in federal and state deterrence projects, and annoyed by their own encounters with the flying fish, residents of a small town in western Illinois saw both a challenge and an opportunity in the large numbers of silver carp that infested their stretch of the Illinois River.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Aug. 2025
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That wasn’t an attempt to minimize Friday’s miscues or shrug past all the disorder that had Johnson annoyed.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Banks was described as wearing a black knit hat, black sweatshirt, black pants, and a face mask.—
Naperville Sun,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Aug. 2025
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Boot Barn is the largest western and work wear retailer in the nation, according to Boot Barn Marketing Specialist Tanna Doyel.—
Ruby Grisin,
The Courier-Journal,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, morning mist lifts from Ogunquit Beach—revealing sand gleaming like polished shell, as Perkins Cove stirs with the scent of lobster bisque and the creak of dock lines: its footbridge swinging open for passing sailboats.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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As the jurors exited the courtroom, the only sound was the creak of the swinging gate.—
Stephanie Kuzydym,
The Courier-Journal,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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His administration filed a judicial misconduct complaint against a judge who ruled that Trump officials likely committed criminal contempt by ignoring his directive to turn around planes carrying people being sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Aug. 2025
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Earlier this year, the IRS mailed checks to those who missed the RRC in 2021 (returns filed in 2022, for stimulus checks related to COVID).—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The characters muse about the extreme likelihood that their apartments have been bugged.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Aug. 2025
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That question also bugs the folks at The Utility Reform Network.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rasp. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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