laps 1 of 3

plural of lap
as in legs
a portion of a trip we were on the last lap of the journey, eagerly heading for home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

laps

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of lap
1
as in washes
to flow along or against the waves gently lapped the sandy shore

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
as in ripples
to move with a splashing motion a stiff breeze that was causing the lake waters to lap against the hull with some force

Synonyms & Similar Words

laps

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of lap

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 laps
Noun
Everyone was trying to balance their dessert plates on their laps, when my 8-year-old niece dropped an entire piece of chocolate cake on the rug. R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025 Then came the flying laps in Q3. Luke Smith, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025 With just a few laps remaining, race leader Ryan Blaney was on his way to win the Goodyear 400 when Wallace ran into Larson. Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025 Several people seated in easy chairs even got the 60-pounder halfway onto their laps. Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025 His 243 laps led are still the most in a NASCAR race since 2000, when Jeff Burton led all 300 laps in a victory at New Hampshire. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2025 The Penske Racing driver was three laps away from his first victory at NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway, but after a bad late-race pit stop, Blaney finished fifth in the Goodyear 400. Lou Bezjak, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2025 The 27-year-old standout driver for Hendrick Motorsports led the first 243 of 297 laps in the Goodyear 400, sweeping the stages and keeping himself in front of the pack after every trip to pit road throughout most of Sunday’s Cup Series race. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2025 Hamlin led the first 381 of 382 laps in a race at Richmond in 2008 before a late flat tire gave the race to Clint Bowyer. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Laps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laps. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on laps

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!