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
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
Koulibaly misjudged a clearance and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was unable to keep out substitute Marcus Pedersen’s rasping shot to give Norway the lead close to halftime.
—
Monica Alba,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
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
Negron, in particular, completely throws himself into it, rasping and howling and wailing out ad-libs.
—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
Thiaw paced, head bowed, arms crossed, as his Senegal players celebrated Gueye’s second rasping shot of the afternoon.
—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
Koulibaly misjudged a clearance and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was unable to keep out substitute Marcus Pedersen’s rasping shot to give Norway the lead close to halftime.
—
Monica Alba,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
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
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
-
Others walked home sunburned, hoarse and still dressed in blue and orange.
-
During the debate, Joe Biden frequently lost his train of thought, stumbled over answers, and appeared hoarse, fueling concerns among voters and party leaders.
Verb
-
The bumper was rubbing the tire and a headlight looked to be dragging.
-
Working with the fingertip has a sensuosity which is erotic and raw; there is something very direct about this process of drawing, rubbing, scratching and erasing.
Verb
-
In April, when Rojas got news that his father had been rushed to the hospital, Roberts quickly took the decision on whether to play out of Rojas’ hands, scratching him from the lineup.
-
Drug companies are experimenting with other approaches called MRGPRX2 blockers that target the pathway Kaplan’s team linked to scratching.
Verb
-
Weird; annoying even – but the floaters did not seem urgent.
-
My biggest concern about adding a tracking device around Mya’s neck was annoying her or creating disruption.
Verb
-
Each new channel brings new risk of eroding consumer trust if it’s not carefully managed.
-
But experts and users warn that technology risks eroding authenticity and chemistry at the heart of real-world relationships.
Adjective
-
Abraham Lincoln furiously scribbled in Springfield on June 27, 1858, firing off a gruff note to the editor-in-chief of the Chicago Press & Tribune, then in business for only 11 years.
-
But Rose bet that a less gruff voice, ultimately Mike Brown’s, was required to win it all.
Verb
-
Yet Marketplace Pulse research shows only 23% of sellers are growing revenue and improving margins at the same time; the rest are either grinding or distressed.
-
The grinding process will leave a large mound of chips mixed with soil that will need to be removed and replaced with topsoil.
Verb
-
But this adjustable Oxo measuring cup will save you time that would otherwise be spent scraping every last bit of peanut butter from the measuring cup.
-
If cinema is a sinking vessel, as so many are eager to suggest, its rusty hull may yet contain treasures worth scraping off and scrutinizing anew.
Cite this Entry
“Rasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rasping. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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