tapped 1 of 2

verb (1)

past tense of tap
as in drummed
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically tapped her foot in time to the music kept tapping the desk with his pencil

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

tapped

2 of 2

verb (2)

past tense of tap
as in drained
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely the oil company tapped that first well completely dry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 tapped
Verb
The two agencies notified several individuals in the Virginia political world that their phones had been tapped as part of the investigation into Lucas. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026 Two dots tapped in with a finger and boom, your blush routine is done. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026 Trump tapped Kobach during his first term to lead a commission charged with investigating voter fraud, but it was disbanded in 2018 without producing any evidence of widespread fraud. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 The health executive had previously declined to receive a salary from Memorial when he was tapped to be its interim leader, receiving an annual salary of a dollar from the health system. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 As reported by The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, new Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly has been tapped as Netflix’s top NFL analyst. — Takashi Williams, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Hillary tapped interior designer Rosemarie Howe, architect Donald Lococo, and landscape gardener Lila Fendrick to renovate the property between 2003 and 2006. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 2 Sep. 2026 The organizers of Untitled Art, Miami Beach have just revealed the 166 galleries that’ve been tapped to participate in its 15th edition, which will take place from December 2 through 6, with a press preview day on December 1st. — News Desk, Artforum, 2 Sep. 2026 And Alibaba just tapped Hong Kong’s equity markets for a $10 billion share sale. — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tapped
  1. drummed
  2. drained
  3. banged
  4. pumped
Verb
  • Rain drummed against the bus windshield on the drive to Michigan.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • For 90 minutes, supporters waved flags, drummed, danced, and sang, but by the end of the evening the soccer scoreline mattered far less than what unfolded in the crowd.
    — Latif Love July 4, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026
Definition of drummed
Verb
  • The attackers used the IP addresses to host a smart contract that drained about $235,000 in bitcoin from people trying to visit the Celer Bridge cryptocurrency exchange.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In France, for example, officials have drained glacier lakes to head off potential flooding, Gagliardini says.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of drained
Verb
  • Inter Miami’s most diehard fans, La Familia, sang and banged their drums, hoping to energize their team, but nothing seemed to make a difference.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Head woke up early that morning when hail banged against her siding.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of banged
Verb
  • Emergency workers have pumped air and dropped food into one tunnel but have yet to establish communication with anyone inside.
    — Bhadra Sharma, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Recycled water is pumped into wells about 2,200 feet below the surface into underground salt deposits.
    — Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pumped

Phrases Containing tapped

Browse Nearby Words

taping
tapped
tapped out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tapped. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All