rasps 1 of 2

noun

plural of rasp
as in scratches
a harsh grating sound the rusted lock opened with a rasp

Synonyms & Similar Words

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rasps

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rasp
1
as in files
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
as in scrapes
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the sound of fingernails rasping on the blackboard makes me cringe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in annoys
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 wears
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasps
  1. scratches
  2. files
  3. scrapes
  4. annoys
  5. wears
  6. creaks
  7. rubs
  8. bugs
Noun
  • The photos of the front and driver’s side of a white van show no dents or scratches.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Vinyl scratches, cut-and-paste sound bites, and snowy static pepper its bouquet of styles, while a handful of shorter interlude tracks help the band speak its narrative message.
    — Kat Bein, SPIN, 7 July 2026
Definition of scratches
Verb
  • When finance leaders think about excise tax, the conversation often starts and ends with the tax team being a cost center that files the returns, meets the deadlines and avoids penalties.
    — Ryan Padget, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Family files wrongful death lawsuit Jennifer and Justin Barbour, the daughter and son-in-law of Avila, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla and Butler on June 23, according to Harris County court documents.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of files
Verb
  • Her older brother, 9-year-old Charlie, climbs across the nearby jungle gym at a Prairie Village playground as her younger brother, 3-year-old Will, scrapes a stick through the mulch.
    — Anna Spoerre, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
  • Every texture is an independent agent with its own membrane in the mix; percussion rubs and scrapes against your attention, while mutating synth patches burble in the periphery.
    — H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
Definition of scrapes
Verb
  • Another potential ingredient in whether a company annoys customers is its business model.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 7 July 2026
  • That's Clearly Too Heavy This isn't just something that annoys flight attendants, but a potentially hazardous task for crew members.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Definition of annoys
Verb
  • Rodríguez Castro wears a stainless-steel version on his left wrist.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Team Visma-Lease A Bike’s Jonas Vingegaard currently wears the yellow jersey after two stages, while Mexico’s Isaac del Toro of UAE Team Emirates won his first Tour de France stage on Sunday afternoon.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of wears
Noun
  • Mr Cobra opens like a dark, cobwebbed staircase leading into a vast and foreboding space, all frantic flute and piano, creaks, and bone-chilling screeches (not to mention a slutty monologue seemingly communicated via Google Translate).
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Woo walked slowly across the room, using a walker to stabilize his upper body, his steps a symphony of clunks and creaks and whirs.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of creaks
Verb
  • The nurse rubs circles on her lower back, clucking at the struggle of turning the pregnant body to the side like a lopsided gourd.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
  • Every texture is an independent agent with its own membrane in the mix; percussion rubs and scrapes against your attention, while mutating synth patches burble in the periphery.
    — H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
Definition of rubs
Verb
  • What really bugs me about this moment, and about the battle and its aftermath, is the lack of feeling.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • When traveling, the EPA suggests inspecting any room visitors will be staying in for the presence of bed bugs.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Definition of bugs
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

rasping
rasps
raspy
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Cite this Entry

“Rasps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rasps. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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