as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound
a patient beset by a rasping cough from years of smoking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in rubbing
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 annoying
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 eroding
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 rasping
Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
When the beetle takes flight, the woman, who is busy unpacking, doesn’t realize for a moment that there’s something out of place about that rasping ruckus, that foreign hum.
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Thrips have rasping, sucking mouthparts.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
Cody Gapko struck the post three times — once with a deflected cross, twice with rasping drives — while Senne Lammens saved Alexander Isak’s shot with an outstretched right foot.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Negron, in particular, completely throws himself into it, rasping and howling and wailing out ad-libs.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
The voice was faint and rasping, like the sound of pebbles raked by a wave.
—Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
When the beetle takes flight, the woman, who is busy unpacking, doesn’t realize for a moment that there’s something out of place about that rasping ruckus, that foreign hum.
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Thrips have rasping, sucking mouthparts.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
Cody Gapko struck the post three times — once with a deflected cross, twice with rasping drives — while Senne Lammens saved Alexander Isak’s shot with an outstretched right foot.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Negron, in particular, completely throws himself into it, rasping and howling and wailing out ad-libs.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasping
Adjective
-
During the debate, Joe Biden frequently lost his train of thought, stumbled over answers, and appeared hoarse, fueling concerns among voters and party leaders.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
-
Signs include panting, a hoarse bark, scuffing or dragging their toes along the ground, and sometimes regurgitation or swallowing problems.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Speaking of harnesses, fliers put on a base layer like compression shorts to protect from rubbing, and costume designer Ryan Park designed clothes to hide and accommodate the harnesses.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
-
Cholowsky wrapped both his arms around the boy and lowered his head onto the crown of the blue helmet, absentmindedly rubbing his back.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Use a dry cloth and gentle pressure to remove buildup without scratching delicate surfaces.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
27 May 2026
-
Spark will monitor and organize Gmail, complete complex tasks, and manage workflows across apps – and that’s just scratching the surface.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Weird; annoying even – but the floaters did not seem urgent.—
Peter Ubel,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
My biggest concern about adding a tracking device around Mya’s neck was annoying her or creating disruption.—
Tyler Hayes,
PC Magazine,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Kaua'i’s northwest coast is one of the world's most rapidly eroding shores.—
Brianna Randall,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
As many others have noted, including Fortune contributor Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at the Tufts Fletcher School, this is now structurally unwinding, rather than slowly eroding.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Ye-jin is drawn in by the caring nature beneath Matthew’s gruff surface.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
29 May 2026
-
But the grizzled former Man in Black and man-who-failed-to-ground-Maverick isn’t known for playing the type of gruff ol’ cowpoke who’s about to break into song.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Nine crucial years of expansion and solidification of the pernicious institution went by, speeding the nation’s road toward a grinding war.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
After more than four years, Russia’s full-scale invasion has morphed into a grinding war of attrition where soldiers are being killed en masse, financial losses are piling up and Kyiv has started to liberate more land than Moscow has seized.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
This is an album in which harsh, scraping sounds make sweet vocal melodies sound even sweeter, where that kindness of spirit may flicker but never quite fades away.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
1 June 2026
-
Traditional screen-scraping automation is inherently fragile, breaking with every UI change or system patch, increasing risk and cost while limiting scale.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rasping. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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