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
Relevance
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
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.
Recent Examples of tap
Theo Lloyd-Hughes, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
Currently retailing for $14.99, the grade A amber syrup is 100% pure maple syrup that gets tapped in Canada (specifically maple trees in Quebec) between March and April.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 20 June 2025
Caroline Tien, SELF, 16 June 2025
Sip a flight of meads on tap or by the bottle at Silver Hand Meadery, or enjoy barrel-aged beers and craft lagers at Virginia Beer Co.
For some lighthearted fun, head to Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tap
Verb
Bianca St-Georges scored for the Royals in the 31st as the Canadian forward tapped in from close range after Ally Sentnor’s strike rebounded off the post.
—Theo Lloyd-Hughes, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
Currently retailing for $14.99, the grade A amber syrup is 100% pure maple syrup that gets tapped in Canada (specifically maple trees in Quebec) between March and April.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 20 June 2025
Noun
First, rinse your melon in cool running water (holding it under the kitchen tap, say).
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 16 June 2025
Sip a flight of meads on tap or by the bottle at Silver Hand Meadery, or enjoy barrel-aged beers and craft lagers at Virginia Beer Co.
For some lighthearted fun, head to Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tap
valve
Noun
-
The May 6 attempt was scrubbed two hours before liftoff because of valve on ULA’s upper Centaur stage that teams continue to investigate.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 June 2025
-
Meanwhile, for the USWNT, 2025 has been a rare release of the pressure valve that’s usually on the women’s game’s perennial winners.—
Meg Linehan,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tap. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share