rasp 1 of 2

as in scratch
a harsh grating sound the rusted lock opened with a rasp

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rasp

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction after sawing the board in half, rasp the ends to remove any splinters

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2
as in to scratch
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the sound of fingernails rasping on the blackboard makes me cringe

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3
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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 rasp
Noun
But her voice never sounded more eerie, with her vampire-queen rasp over Ellis’ eerie electronics. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2025 Villanueva has a powerful voice and a feel for Tina's growls, rasps and embellishments. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2024
Verb
The cucumbers should be rasped and cut in half lengthwise. Roger Sands, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024 Starring opposite Nicolas Cage, who is Longlegs’ titular menace—a disfigured, rasping serial killer with mysterious means to his ends—Monroe plays Lee Harker, a talented and reserved FBI recruit whose cryptic psychic abilities give her strange insight into her target’s methods. Megan McCluskey, TIME, 10 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for rasp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasp
Noun
  • Steve Jobs exemplifies the DNA of a founder, having built Apple from scratch by combining vision with relentless execution.
    Paul Klein, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
  • The Penguins listed Bunting as a healthy scratch early this season because coaches were unhappy with his effort in games and practices.
    Josh Yohe, The Athletic, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • For dried or sticky grease, Marshall suggests switching to dish soap diluted in water and rubbing gently with a soft sponge or microfiber cloth.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Should wooden parts continue to rub together, Ceja says a little wax, soap, or WD-40 can help reduce friction and keep things quiet.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Now, add the wine and scrape any of those yummy brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
    Claudia Alexander, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Each page was scraped about seven times on average.
    Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Instead of getting annoyed, try again a few minutes later and remember, never vent your frustration to your cats.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Since then, Lorenzo had been aggressive in pushing the Pinos to seek better medical expertise to get to the bottom of Tatiana’s health problems — an effort that reportedly annoyed Sergio.
    Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The star wore her hair in a sleek braided bun with a single face-framing strand and accessorized her strappy peach Louis Vuitton gown with Chopard jewels.
    Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
  • In the photo obtained by the outlet, Sia — known for obscuring her face on stage and at public events with oversized wigs — wore her long blonde hair in beaded braids, her eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The boat moves and creaks, the sails flutter in the wind, and the crew gives a lusty hurrah as the course is set for Singapore.
    John Bleasdale, Variety, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Gracey gets an astonishing amount across in the details: the goofy creak of a leather jumpsuit, a camera angle tilted to show the utterly unspectacular pulley system that yanked Williams upside-down in front of a crowd of 125,000.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Federal prosecutors filed a lawsuit against Connolly under the FACE Act, or the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
    Ryan Lucas, NPR, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Names and faces 3 hours ago by Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports Actor Emily Osment has filed for divorce from her husband of less than five months, musician Jack Anthony Farina.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Hackman is a detective who specializes in audio surveillance, spying on and bugging strangers, a wiretapper capturing them in incriminating secrets, yet unable to empathize or bond with any real-life humans.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Ahead of the trial, Sherborne alleged the newspapers had used deception to obtain his clients' medical, phone and flight records, as well as bugging homes and placing listening devices into cars.
    Max Taylor, NBC News, 22 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rasp. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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