knap

verb

Definition of knapnext
as in to chisel

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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 knap Rocks could be knapped, or shaped, into knife blades, spear points, ax heads, and more, allowing hunter-gatherers to take on new prey and use animal remains for clothing and other things. — Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2024 Our Paleolithic ancestors learned to knap delicate blades from round stone cobbles, hunt large game and cook their food. — Herman Pontzer, Scientific American, 12 Dec. 2022 The course was jointly led by Ojibwe elders, who taught him how to knap flint, tan hides and build wigwams. — Franz Lidz Meghan Dhaliwal, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2022 Knowing how to make a friction fire, or how to whittle a paddle out of a log, or how to knap stone arrowheads all have their place in a survival situation (particularly fire making). — Jim Baird, Field & Stream, 3 Aug. 2020 There was the first time someone knapped and hafted a rock onto a spear shaft, and the first time someone strung up a bow. — Tyler Freel, Outdoor Life, 19 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knap
  1. chisel
  2. carve
  3. sculpture
  4. grave
  5. hew
  6. sculpt
  7. cut
Verb
  • The story of this sport is told inside that room — in so many ways, through the tales chiseled into those plaques and the portraits of the men who weaved those tales.
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • For Yard Act’s 2022 debut, The Overload, the quartet chiseled flamboyant caricatures of British life and portrayed their flawed country with an abrasive, punishing tone.
    — Victoria Borlando, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026
Definition of chisel
Verb
  • In any case, this Atlanta fight night is blazing hot and Tesehki and Big Lex have carved their piece of the pie.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The cavity has been carved into the nebula by ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from massive young stars.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of carve
Verb
  • Some resemble ancient oil lamps and brooches; others take after Barbara Hepworth and Isamu Noguchi sculptures.
    — Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 23 May 2026
  • The permanent collection includes more than 1,000 works ranging from painting to sculpture to installations.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
Definition of sculpture
Verb
  • In one cemetery, families of deceased cartel operatives erected graves the size of suburban homes.
    — Kevin Sieff, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Aprendi no que consiste o verdadeiro alimento há muitos anos, quando tive problemas estomacais tão graves que só conseguia reter os alimentos mais básicos.
    — Blithe Holcomb Hogan, Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2026
Definition of grave
Verb
  • Kim’s desk in the family room is hewn from maple with a top made by local ceramic artist Minseon Kim.
    — Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For millennia, the Wounaan people, who live in parts of what is now Panama and Colombia, have hewn and sculpted various woods.
    — Chenier Carpio Opua, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of hew
Verb
  • They are being sculpted by intense radiation from nearby young stars, while new stars are forming inside the dense clouds.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • But everything around it needed to be sculpted, sanded and polished by hand.
    — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sculpt
Verb
  • Low-flow plumbing fixtures and water-saving showerheads cut water consumption, and LED lighting and energy-efficient appliances lower overall energy use.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Humanitarian aid to Afghanistan – which is needed by approximately 45% of the population – has been dramatically cut by international donors since the Taliban returned to power, with women and girls bearing the brunt of those cuts.
    — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of cut

Browse Nearby Words

knacks
knap
knapped
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Cite this Entry

“Knap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knap. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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