as in drums
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 drains
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 taps
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Soldiers may soon be doing a bit less pack hauling as the US Department of Defense taps American Rheinmetall and Harbinger to develop a new generation of stealthy, inexpensive, and expendable robotic trucks designed to carry cargo to the battlefield.
—David Szondy
june 03, New Atlas, 3 June 2026
Shift, meanwhile, also taps consumers directly, and claims to have paid tens of thousands of people across 15 countries to record their activities through its app.
—Robert Hart, The Verge, 29 May 2026
This edit taps directly into the Korean skincare influence currently shaping Western beauty routines, with an unusually high number of full-sized products that make the purchase feel substantial rather than sample-led.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The feature taps world knowledge and your listening history to deliver a personalized audio output.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 22 May 2026
The series also taps into the current craze of new-adult stories — that is, focused on characters in that stage of life between teen and full-fledged adulthood — many specifically set in the pressure-cooker environment that college and university settings naturally supply to make romance spark.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2026
This campaign also taps into the Fashionphile shop-and-sell model and reflects how circularity with acquiring and reselling within pre-loved luxury is interconnected.
—Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
Completes his own 360 spin, but taps the wall with his left-front, damaging his car’s left steering arm.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Kirk Siegler, NPR, 3 June 2026
Those two taps of the head were responsible for two of Yamamoto’s 10 strikeouts in Sunday’s win.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Advertisement Think like a kid Reciprocity taps into a deep part of our brain.
—Attia Qureshi, Time, 1 June 2026
Carpenter also warns that outdoor pooling after rainfall, unattended pet bowls, and dripping garden taps can also encourage cockroaches and rodents.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 May 2026
Customers want to move money now with a mobile number, an alias, an app or a few taps.
—Muhammad Azeem, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Highlights include the presentation of colors, keynote speakers, taps and a singing of the national anthem.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026
Seabrook said she was touched and will never forget when the haunting melody of taps rang out behind her, played live by a stranger that day at the cemetery in Elburn.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
Inside, tables were pushed together while the bar, kitchen equipment and beer taps remained intact.
—Reeti Malhotra
may 22, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2026
Verb
The Intern, described as a sexy, twisty legal thriller about power, corruption and the true nature of justice, taps into Campbell’s background of Harvard University and Stanford Law School graduate.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Soldiers may soon be doing a bit less pack hauling as the US Department of Defense taps American Rheinmetall and Harbinger to develop a new generation of stealthy, inexpensive, and expendable robotic trucks designed to carry cargo to the battlefield.
—David Szondy
june 03, New Atlas, 3 June 2026
Shift, meanwhile, also taps consumers directly, and claims to have paid tens of thousands of people across 15 countries to record their activities through its app.
—Robert Hart, The Verge, 29 May 2026
This edit taps directly into the Korean skincare influence currently shaping Western beauty routines, with an unusually high number of full-sized products that make the purchase feel substantial rather than sample-led.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The feature taps world knowledge and your listening history to deliver a personalized audio output.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 22 May 2026
The series also taps into the current craze of new-adult stories — that is, focused on characters in that stage of life between teen and full-fledged adulthood — many specifically set in the pressure-cooker environment that college and university settings naturally supply to make romance spark.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2026
This campaign also taps into the Fashionphile shop-and-sell model and reflects how circularity with acquiring and reselling within pre-loved luxury is interconnected.
—Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
Completes his own 360 spin, but taps the wall with his left-front, damaging his car’s left steering arm.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Noun
Standing by a jetty where undrinkable water gets discharged back into the Pacific from the Carlsbad plant, McDonough says aggressive conservation by farms as well as urban water recycling will go much further toward averting taps from running dry.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 3 June 2026
Those two taps of the head were responsible for two of Yamamoto’s 10 strikeouts in Sunday’s win.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Advertisement Think like a kid Reciprocity taps into a deep part of our brain.
—Attia Qureshi, Time, 1 June 2026
Carpenter also warns that outdoor pooling after rainfall, unattended pet bowls, and dripping garden taps can also encourage cockroaches and rodents.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 May 2026
Customers want to move money now with a mobile number, an alias, an app or a few taps.
—Muhammad Azeem, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Highlights include the presentation of colors, keynote speakers, taps and a singing of the national anthem.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026
Seabrook said she was touched and will never forget when the haunting melody of taps rang out behind her, played live by a stranger that day at the cemetery in Elburn.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
Inside, tables were pushed together while the bar, kitchen equipment and beer taps remained intact.
—Reeti Malhotra
may 22, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taps
Verb
-
Krieger and Densmore, the two surviving members of The Doors, are the backbone of the video, revisiting the signature guitar and drums parts more than a half-century after they were originally laid to wax.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of another room with a priest and young woman growling on the bed, the exorcisms in The Wailing are accompanied by chanting crowds, firepits, and drums beating as a great spectacle is made of the ritual.—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Make sure the soil at the planting site drains within one hour following heavy rain, as peach trees do not tolerate soggy soil.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
30 May 2026
-
Field observations noted that a manhole at the location was spilling into an area roughly 100 feet by 10 feet, with runoff entering a stream that drains into the tributary.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
This reaction, however, produces heat, which can be controlled through adding chemical inhibitors or utilizing release valves, chemists say.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
The condition occurs when the valves in the legs don’t function properly, causing blood to pool in the veins.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Teal'c takes out some frustrations on an unlucky grunt who bangs him with a door at the start of every time loop, and O'Neill gets to (temporarily) sample the will-they side of his will-they-won't-they relationship with Carter.—
Daryl Baxter,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Another bangs his head against the wall after expressing suicidal thoughts.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Congratulations are in order for Dua Lipa, who married Callum Turner over the weekend at a courthouse ceremony in London wearing a Schiaparelli suit with Christian Louboutin pumps to complete her all-white look — but those heels are far from the only shoes the British musician owns.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
3 June 2026
-
My chest feels tight as my heart pumps against the elevation, though some of this sensation may simply be awe.—
Alexandra Oliva
June 1,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taps. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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