Thesaurus results for RAPE

rape 1 of 2

noun

ˈrāp

Definition of rape

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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Relevance

as in kidnapping

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

Russ has a solid roster of people from different stretches of Tyson’s life, from childhood friends to gym partners to follow boxers to family members to several of the women who didn’t divorce him or accuse him of rape. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026 Soon thereafter, she is diagnosed with dementia and learns that her grandson has committed serial rape. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Russell Brand leaves Southwark Crown Court in London on the first day of his rape trial. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026 Haslett was initially charged with first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault in October 2022 in Clay County Circuit Court. — Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026 Doe’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, said her rape kit was conducted weeks after the incident rather than immediately afterward, potentially losing some DNA evidence. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026 Many students are outraged by a rape lawsuit but cowed by the university’s penalties for protesters. — Grey Battle, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026 Continue reading … NOT PERMITTED — Ithaca cracks down on Cornell with sweeping permit freeze amid rape allegation fallout. — FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Society The Cornell rape allegations have drawn significant public attention, and views of them are being informed by past issues such as the #MeToo movement and the Jeffrey Epstein case. — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2026

Verb

Like Dominique Pelicot, the French man who used the online chat platform Coco to recruit men to rape his drugged and unconscious wife, the @SteveCumfulls of the world thrive on the internet’s reach and de-facto anonymity. — Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026 Prosecutors allege Freire raped one of the women while she was incapacitated, took photographs of the unconscious roommates and shared the images with others. — Alice Gainer, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Former Cornell student Jane Doe, who filed a civil lawsuit in September 2026 alleging that seven fraternity members raped her at a party, said the young men who assaulted her pressured her into taking the drug ketamine. — Christopher P. Holstege, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026 During the video interview, C1 alleged that she was raped by Brand, now 51, after meeting him on the fringes of the Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth in 1999. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 Brand then raped her anally, while the woman asked him to stop, the jury was told. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026 Prosecutors at the time accused Brand of raping a woman in the English seaside area of Bournemouth in 1999. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 The Cornell case has garnered nationwide attention over Jane Doe’s disturbing allegations, which include that she was coerced with alcohol and drugs before being raped multiple times at the Chi Phi frat house. — Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 13 Oct. 2026 Keep it brief, clear and consistent There’s no room for ambiguity when teaching boys not to rape or assault girls. — Katie Hurley, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rape

Noun

And unlike state authorities who can be sued for civil rights violations in state courts, federal law enforcement authorities are generally shielded from such lawsuits based on legal precedents.

— Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Chicago should provide workable loading zones, preserve first-offense warnings, and publicly report whether violations and crashes actually decline.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of violation

Noun

In 2011, Assad’s authorities were blamed for the kidnapping of senior Baath Party official Shibli al-Aysami from the Lebanese mountain town of Aley.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Devorise Carl Johnson, 21, now faces several charges, including first-degree murder and kidnapping with a weapon or firearm, according to an arrest form.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of kidnapping

Verb

California is among the states that successfully sued, in part by arguing that turning over the data would violate state privacy laws.

— SAFIYAH RIDDLE, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
As noted recently by Deadline, other Chinese AI models continue to plunder IP, including MiniMax H3, which generated videos that violated studio brand safety standards 55% of the time when an image was used in a prompt.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of violate

Noun

Mace and Bryant were not yet engaged at the time of the October 2018 assault.

— MEG KINNARD, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
On Tuesday, the DA’s Office charged Gonzalez with assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, elder abuse, vandalism and battery.

— Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of assault

Noun

Once investigators began digging into Evonitz’s past, Chamberlain’s abduction proved to be only part of the story.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said an arrest has been made in connection with the abduction of a man from a North Miami apartment who was later found dead this month.

— CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of abduction

Verb

Andrey Khrzhanovskiy, a blogger who filmed the assault, said the settlers beat Levine with sticks while the journalists and villagers were forced to retreat.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Trump repeatedly leaned on Thune to kill the filibuster in order to pass it, and other senators wanted Thune to try to force Democrats to pull off a talking filibuster to block the bill.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of force

Browse Nearby Words

rapacity

rape

raped

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Rape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rape. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of rape

noun

verb

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