as in to drum
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
tapped her foot in time to the music kept tapping the desk with his pencil
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to drain
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely
the oil company tapped that first well completely dry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tap
Lara Walsh, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
The developer was tapped by New York Life, the Alpharetta mall’s owner, to pursue redevelopment entitlements and oversee predevelopment preparation.
—Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 25 Feb. 2026
CapMetro also rolled out tap-to-pay across its fleet this month, allowing customers to tap a card or phone to pay fares.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tap
Verb
Sweeney has tapped into her acting skills to bring the brand’s distinctly different Seductress and Romantic and Playful personas to life.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
The developer was tapped by New York Life, the Alpharetta mall’s owner, to pursue redevelopment entitlements and oversee predevelopment preparation.
—Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
For years, credit card issuers and other businesses that have backed off using magnetic strips in favor of more secure EMV chips and contactless RFID technology, commonly known as tap to pay.
—Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 25 Feb. 2026
CapMetro also rolled out tap-to-pay across its fleet this month, allowing customers to tap a card or phone to pay fares.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tap
valve
Noun
-
Find the drain valve and connect the garden hose to it.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Slowly twist the valve about a quarter turn at a time, waiting for 15 seconds between each turn.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tap. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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