rape 1 of 2

1
as in violation
the act of forcing a person to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse an international law defining rape as a war crime

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2
as in kidnaping
the unlawful or forcible carrying away of a person or animal the legend of the rape of the Sabine women by the ancient Romans was frequently depicted in classical art

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rape

2 of 2

verb

as in to violate
to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent the defendant accused of raping the victim

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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 rape
Noun
Corrections officials say two Arkansas prison employees errantly helped Grant Hardin, the former police chief convicted of murder and rape, escape from a prison in May. Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 13 July 2025 The show begins in 1989 when five Black and Latino teenagers are wrongfully accused of rape in the Central Park Jogger case. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 13 July 2025 Miro Fischer’s debut feature, the tale of a young girl who learns that her brother has been accused of rape, is a German co-production with Spain’s Nephilim Producciones. John Hopewell, Variety, 11 July 2025 South Korean singer and former NCT member Moon Taeil will serve three and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to rape. Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 10 July 2025 His tenure in Tallahassee was marked by significant controversy, including a high-profile Title IX lawsuit against the school by a woman who accused former FSU star quarterback Jameis Winston of rape. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 9 July 2025 In 2021, the Wilmington Police Department submitted a kit from a 1996 rape in which the woman had also been beaten, held against her will and abandoned on the side of the road. Veronica Fulton, NBC news, 6 July 2025 The Ventura lawsuit that set the stage for this federal indictment alleged rape and physical abuse, and the hotel surveillance video corroborated the latter; those images remain in the public consciousness. Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 3 July 2025 An investigation was started in February 2022 after the first report of rape was made, the police said, adding that Partey is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5. Ben Morse, CNN Money, 4 July 2025
Verb
The chatbot had no hands with which to tie her, no body with which to rape her. Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 14 July 2025 When that man drugs and attempts to rape a woman in his room, Harrison interrupts, coming to blows with the predator in the bathroom. Nick Caruso, TVLine, 11 July 2025 Police officers spoke to the 35-year-old alleged victim who told them she had been assaulted and raped by Romero on July 4. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 10 July 2025 Fisherman, 39, was charged in December with pinning down a woman as Oren and Alon Alexander took turns raping her in a luxurious Miami Beach hi-rise on New Year’s Eve in 2016. Miami Herald, 8 July 2025 Former University of Kansas and NBA player Ben McLemore has been found guilty of raping a 21-year old woman at a Lake Oswego, Oregon, house party that took place in October 2021, ESPN and KGW8-TV of Portland have reported. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2025 After several women came forward with claims that the musician had raped them, the Bad Boy Records founder denied all of the allegations in a statement to PEOPLE in December 2023. Jordana Comiter, People.com, 2 July 2025 In 2019, a Hamilton County judge set bond at $5 million for a priest accused of raping an altar boy decades earlier. David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 These incidents have drawn comparisons to an infamous 1995 case in which three U.S. servicemembers were convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl on her way home from school in Okinawa. Christopher Cann, USA Today, 26 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rape
Noun
  • The Seattle resident asserted that being blocked was a violation of her First Amendment right.
    Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2025
  • When an agent malfunctions in a production environment, the potential consequences include operational disruptions, security breaches, compliance violations and reputational damage.
    Olga Megorskaya, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Verb
  • Under the proposal, violating the permit restrictions would carry a $150 fine.
    John Tuohy, IndyStar, 23 July 2025
  • An administrative review over whether the deputies violated department policies is also ongoing, Waters said.
    Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.
    Jacky Wong, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
  • Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.
    Reuters, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2023
Noun
  • Officers reviewed a surveillance video that confirmed the account of the abduction.
    Ariela Lopez, jsonline.com, 21 July 2025
  • New York State Police now say there is no indication that an abduction happened.
    Stephen Sorace , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2025
Verb
  • Blurry Vision High sugar levels force the body to pull fluid from your tissues, including the lenses of your eyes.
    Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 15 July 2025
  • These high taxes explain why Tesla was forced to set its prices so high in India, despite the country’s preference for EVs at much lower price ranges.
    Dylan Butts, CNBC, 15 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rape. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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