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
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound
a patient beset by a rasping cough from years of smoking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rasp
Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
Kennedy’s vocal rasp is not caused by an infection or respiratory condition.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
Steve Douglas, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024
And then Elisabeth uses it, and her spine splits open, leaving her a rasping husk of flesh while an alternate self rises, in the dewy buff, to survey her taut flesh with a clinical eye in the mirror.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rasp
Noun
Over Martin’s delicate playing, her aching rasp resonated to the rafters, a melancholy shudder that still sounded comforting.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
Kennedy’s vocal rasp is not caused by an infection or respiratory condition.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
Verb
City trailed 1-0 at halftime after Marcus Rashford’s rasping long-range strike in the eighth minute and a glaring miss from the prolific Haaland from barely two meters out.
—Steve Douglas, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024
And then Elisabeth uses it, and her spine splits open, leaving her a rasping husk of flesh while an alternate self rises, in the dewy buff, to survey her taut flesh with a clinical eye in the mirror.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for rasp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasp
Noun
-
Many organisations are using the EU’s framework globally as a benchmark rather than creating their own from scratch.—
Diana Spehar,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
And so Blomfield, who knows how to code, also tried his hand at vibe coding — both to rejig his blog and to create from scratch a website called Recipe Ninja.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
His slightly hoarse, charismatic tone pairs well with soulful timbre, making for a duet that recalls the rugged sheen of early-’00s hip-hop and R&B collaborations.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Like fellow performer Carrie Underwood, Cyrus was met with technical difficulties, and viewers expressed concern over his hoarse voice and at times awkward on-stage behavior.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
His round wasn’t without its bumps and scrapes, with bogeys on 1, 11 and 13 but his late round surge took him from three shots back of the lead to three shots ahead of his nearest chaser.—
Mike Dojc,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
-
Tilt skillet so eggs fill bare spots; scrape cooked eggs down from sides of skillet, and cook until just set, about 30 seconds.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Peter Capaldi - Twelfth Doctor From 2014-2017, a gruff and action-ready Peter Capaldi shredded an electric guitar through the TARDIS.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
29 May 2025
-
Over a four-decade career that began with a role on Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Lyonne has become known for portraying characters that are gruff but likable, hard-nosed but sympathetic.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
My assumption is that most rational human beings would happily stay in a warm and cozy office and simply listen to the building creak and groan under the force of the violent gusts.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside Online,
11 Mar. 2025
-
The set is a ship’s deck that tilts and creaks ominously while a screen plays eerily textured footage of a roiling ocean.—
Houman Barekat,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Fred Clemens, the lodge owner, told us that a few big bass had been caught in Grassy Bay, also some husky channel cats running to 12 pounds.—
Don Shiner,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2025
-
In a viral TikTok video, a Siberian husky puppy is filmed meeting a kitten for the very first time in his life, and his heartening reaction to the feline has quickly turned him into a social-media sensation.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rasp. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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