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
In this case, there’s not much in the way of medication that can help; Dr. Mercado notes that OTC drugs haven’t actually been proven effective for softening a bad rasp. Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Feb. 2025 Vernon also lent his signature rasp to collaborations with some of the biggest stars in music, from Taylor Swift, Travis Scott, and Charli XCX. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
And then Elisabeth uses it, and her spine splits open, leaving her a rasping husk of flesh while an alternate self rises, in the dewy buff, to survey her taut flesh with a clinical eye in the mirror. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2024 What endures is the rasping byplay, the soaring exasperation, the tango of opposing temperaments finding fleeting common ground. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for rasp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasp
Noun
  • Hassabis and Murdoch had to hire a team from scratch.
    Hayden Field, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
  • While some were raised by reality TV royalty or hail from a famous family, others are starting their empires from scratch.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Pearl rubbed Broome’s back as the cart took off down the concourse.
    Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Adding to its innovation, the 'Monaco' integrates honeycomb thermoplastic heel technology, providing convenience by allowing natural motion without stiffness or rigidity, rubbing away material in other shoemakers usually.
    Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Set up your agent to scrape competitor data, log changes to a spreadsheet, and send you only the high-impact alerts.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • On Tuesday, the Wikimedia Foundation announced that relentless AI scraping is putting strain on Wikipedia's servers.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Waltz now has a bunch of top officials, and their teams, who are annoyed at him for drawing bad publicity.
    Marc Caputo, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025
  • However, standing in the middle of a road to capture the Eiffel Tower in the background is not only unsafe but can also annoy locals.
    Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Jackson has worn that same number throughout his football career and has won two MVPs with it.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Among the Trump administration’s demands on Columbia University in return for restoring $400 million in funding was a ban on masks, which many peaceful protesters wear not to menace others but to avoid being identified by facial recognition.
    Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • My assumption is that most rational human beings would happily stay in a warm and cozy office and simply listen to the building creak and groan under the force of the violent gusts.
    Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The set is a ship’s deck that tilts and creaks ominously while a screen plays eerily textured footage of a roiling ocean.
    Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The lawsuit was initially filed against Meta — then called Facebook — in 2020, during Mr. Trump's first term, before being amended in 2021.
    Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2025
  • No charges were filed against Darvish as of April 13.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Aaron Boone said Bellinger’s back started bugging him during Thursday’s game against the Diamondbacks.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Ralph Macchio on the one thing that still bugs him about Karate Kid Part II My Cousin Vinny tells the story of three bombastic Italian-Americans caught up in an over-the-top legal drama.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rasp. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

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