as in belts
a narrow and usually flat piece of a material that is used for fastening, holding together, or wrapping something
She had the nervous habit of fiddling with the strap of her watch.
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Recent Examples of straps
Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
In the footage and images released by the FBI, the suspect appears to have a gun holstered near the center of his waist – an unusual position – and is seen wearing a backpack with reflective straps.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
The collection, all black save for splashes of red and silky cream and deep brown plum moments, wasn't worth the wait but had bright spots in utility-style vests and jackets, a black funnel-neck piece with tiers of straps down and around like a straightjacket.
—Anika Reed, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Over her shoulders, the straps of a small pink backpack.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
The bottom compartment sports cinchable retention straps and is closed off via a water-resistant divider that features a zippered mesh organizer pocket.
—Drew Zieff, Outside, 17 Feb. 2026
Some purchasers had issues with the hook-and-loop straps weakening quickly.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Footwear consists of brown leather sandals with wide straps and a flat sole.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 14 Feb. 2026
The Barreda Mary Jane Shoes are another star player in the ballet sneaker buzz, but relieve the need to fuss with laces thanks to their slip-on design and elastic straps.
—Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
There’s a full divider panel, multiple pockets for smaller essentials, and elastic cross straps that keep everything compressed and in place.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
In the footage and images released by the FBI, the suspect appears to have a gun holstered near the center of his waist – an unusual position – and is seen wearing a backpack with reflective straps.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
The collection, all black save for splashes of red and silky cream and deep brown plum moments, wasn't worth the wait but had bright spots in utility-style vests and jackets, a black funnel-neck piece with tiers of straps down and around like a straightjacket.
—Anika Reed, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Over her shoulders, the straps of a small pink backpack.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
The bottom compartment sports cinchable retention straps and is closed off via a water-resistant divider that features a zippered mesh organizer pocket.
—Drew Zieff, Outside, 17 Feb. 2026
Some purchasers had issues with the hook-and-loop straps weakening quickly.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Footwear consists of brown leather sandals with wide straps and a flat sole.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 14 Feb. 2026
The Barreda Mary Jane Shoes are another star player in the ballet sneaker buzz, but relieve the need to fuss with laces thanks to their slip-on design and elastic straps.
—Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for straps
Noun
-
With a couple of players with two championship runs under their belts, the Mustangs are definitely not short on that.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The company has also developed a traceability platform covering ready-to-wear, shoes, scarves and handbags, with small leather goods and belts to be added this year.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Not only were the players far more portable than turntables but unlike records, tapes were resilient to being tossed about.—
Oliver Wang,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Archive footage viewed on old VHS tapes and Super-8 film reveals that Cook was a talented and charismatic musician, plucking away at his Gibson while singing blues standards or original material.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
What makes barrel jeans popular is their wide, tapered fit that curves out around the mid-leg and then cinches in at the ankle.—
India Roby,
InStyle,
16 Feb. 2026
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The three compressions are Spanxsmooth Swim, which is light compression for barely there smoothing; Spanxshape Swim, medium compression for a little more tummy control and shaping, and Spanxsculpt Swim, strong compression that cinches and snatches.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Operating the facility safely will require close to 100 staff members, which directly ties to the broader recruitment and retention challenges at the Sheriff’s Office.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Dark, moody walls make the natural-wood bench and light floors stand out; a charming white dome pendant light ties the space together.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
TikToks promising secret loopholes, Reddit threads dissecting deductions and content creators insisting ways to outsmart the IRS.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Cristian’s fixation on winning a vintage two-bit arcade game on the sidewalk not far from Olga’s home is a romantic touch that turns, briefly, surreal as Cristian mentally threads his experience with the game into his experience with his now certainly dying mother.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Straps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/straps. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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