tapping 1 of 2

verb (1)

Definition of tappingnext
present participle of tap
as in drumming
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

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tapping

2 of 2

verb (2)

present participle of tap
as in draining
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely the oil company tapped that first well completely dry

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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 tapping
Verb
Companies are also tapping the public debt markets in an unprecedented way. — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026 But programming matters just as much as timing, and that includes tapping the right host. — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 Users interact with apps by using their eyesight as a mouse and tapping their thumb to their index finger to click. — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 And mathematicians and theorists are tapping their new, powerful models to generate entire proofs for their research. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2026 With the game tied at 3, Ostlund scored by tapping in Zach Benson's pass through the crease. — CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 Governments are tapping their emergency oil faster than ever, and the room to keep doing so is shrinking. — Heather Occhino, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026 Kapoor will lead the creative direction, with Balaji retaining the underlying IP while tapping YouTube’s global distribution and advertising business — a savvy expansion that doesn’t involve surrendering ownership of her stories. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 In newer versions of Google Photos, selecting the frame or tapping the camera icon can reveal the export control. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tapping
  1. drumming
  2. draining
  3. banging
  4. pumping
Verb
  • The Cocoon sessions found Morphine playing with different instrumentation, including piano and drumming from friends and collaborators.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Reddington sat pensive, drumming his fingers on the defense table.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of drumming
Verb
  • Eating triggers saliva production, but a stone can keep the saliva from draining, causing the gland to swell.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • On the ground floor, outside the main building, a humanoid was flat on its back after draining its battery during a demo.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • Kulich stood near the side of the net banging his stick on the ice, and Power found him with the perfect pass.
    — Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The autistic girl had stopped hurting herself by banging her head on the floor when she was frustrated.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of banging
Verb
  • The authors of this latest paper sought to capture the venom-pumping kinematics of honey bee stingers in order to identify the underlying biomechanics.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund was still pumping cash — more than $5 billion and counting — into the LIV Golf League.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of pumping

Browse Nearby Words

tapped out
tapping
taproom
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tapping. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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