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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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
According to the publication, Selena then took Saldívar to the hospital for examination, where doctors found no evidence of rape. Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025 Last year, Donald Trump sued ABC News and George Stephanopoulos after the anchor inaccurately stated on-air that Trump had been found liable for rape. Todd Spangler, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025 Among the film’s interviewees are two former nuns at the school and the abbot who supervised several of the priests accused of rape and murder. Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025 The calls include 219 for welfare checks, 114 for suspicious subjects or vehicles, 57 for suicidal subjects or attempts, 54 for trespassing, 53 for fights, 46 for narcotics, 12 for fraud and nine for rape. Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2025 Prior to his confirmation, Hegseth was accused of rape and seriously abusing alcohol. David Matthews, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2025 Every victim is forgotten because to remember - the rapes and child abductions in Ukraine - is to take on responsibility and therefore to begin worrying. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025 The fear of rape remains for women who leave the camps for firewood or other needs. Sam Mednick, The Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2025 Contra Costa County prosecutors have charged Eric Ferguson, 49, with forcible rape in the April 2, 2002, attack near Laurel Road in Oakley, according to court documents. Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
The subpoena stems from the former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon previously accusing Simmons in a New York Times piece of raping her in his apartment back in 1995. Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 26 Mar. 2025 When a case hits too close to home – one of the girls on her self-defence team is raped – Mars crosses the line into vigilantism. John Hopewell, Variety, 25 Mar. 2025 Depardieu is also facing an official complaint from actress Charlotte Arnould, who accused him of raping her in 2018. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Mar. 2025 The son of a Japanese woman likely raped by an American GI, he is abandoned after World War II at an orphanage full of children with similar parentage. Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2025 The unidentified woman who claimed Jay-Z raped her at a 2000 party said a recording released by his attorneys twisted her words, according to a report published last week. arkansasonline.com, 21 Mar. 2025 An Idaho man accused of raping a woman in Oakley more than two decades ago will be held for trial following a judge’s decision at a preliminary hearing earlier this week, authorities said. Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2025 But my mom was raped more than 200 times during ten years by more than 70 different men. Christine Pelisek, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025 The case comes less than two months after a 44-year-old woman from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, filed a criminal report with the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office alleging she was raped twice in her cabin, each time by a crew member, on an eight-day cruise that started and ended at PortMiami. Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 15 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rape
Noun
  • That came after Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson was given a pitch-clock violation that led to a walk for the Royals’ Jonathan India.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025
  • For example, in February, a coalition of 14 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit questioning DOGE's authority to restructure or dissolve federal agencies without congressional approval, alleging violations of the Appointments Clause.
    Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Earlier in the episode, Whitfield and Lindy violate Mabel — then pour hot coffee on her — before Whitfield pushes her down on the breakfast table and rapes her.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Not the least of which is that the terms of the settlement clearly violate antitrust law, which was the grounds for the lawsuit in the first place.
    Joe Sabin, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 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
  • In March 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.
    Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The Yale School of Public Health Humanitarian Research Lab, which was tracking the abductions, had counted more than 30,000 children taken from Ukraine to Russia and Belarus since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
    Edward Wong, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Her story forced the country to confront a flawed legal system and the cultural discomfort with women who challenged it.
    Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Trump's threat, if carried out, would force these countries to choose between Russian energy and access to the American market.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rape. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

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