duct tape

noun

ˈdək(t)- How to pronounce duct tape (audio)
: a wide cloth adhesive tape originally designed for sealing joints in heating or air-conditioning ducts
duct-tape
ˈdək(t)- How to pronounce duct tape (audio)
transitive verb

Examples of duct tape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
After Collins’ family reported her missing, police followed a tip to the Pham’s unit, nestled behind NoDa’s main strip, and found Collins wrapped in duct tape and stuffed into a mattress. — Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2026 His hands and legs were bound, duct tape covered his face, and his body was burned and showed signs of decomposition, according to the record. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026 There’s all of these kind of duct tape being put around things that aren’t quite fit for purpose on the financing side, which just seems to me to funnel the risk up to, again, that handful of companies. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Its public and private sector is held together with duct tape and spit. — CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for duct tape

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of duct tape was in 1973

Rhymes for duct tape

See All Rhymes for duct tape

Browse Nearby Words

ductor blade
duct tape
ductule
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Duct tape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duct%20tape. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

duct tape

noun
: a wide cloth adhesive tape
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