lapped 1 of 2

verb (1)

past tense of lap
1
as in washed
to flow along or against the waves gently lapped the sandy shore

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2
as in splashed
to flow in a broken irregular stream the creek lapped along through the ravine before collecting in the pond

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rippled
to move with a splashing motion a stiff breeze that was causing the lake waters to lap against the hull with some force

Synonyms & Similar Words

lapped

2 of 2

verb (2)

past tense of lap
1
as in overlapped
to lie over parts of one another the armadillo's plates lap tightly so as to form a protective shield

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2
as in wrapped
to surround or cover closely this recording of the symphony is sure to lap listeners in stereophonic bliss

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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 lapped
Verb
Passed in 1979, the current plan has been lapped not only by Boise’s land-use laws, but also by construction materials, preservation practices and architecture itself. — Mark Dee july 24, Idaho Statesman, 24 July 2026 The Los Angeles Dodgers lapped the field at 49,536 fans and 4 million for the full season. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026 The audience of employees lapped up every word, giggled at every dad joke. — Claire Stapleton, New Yorker, 18 July 2026 In 2021, then-F1 race director Michael Masi incorrectly applied the rules around such a situation and did not let all lapped runners overtake. — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 7 July 2026 Even then, after days of heavy rain, polluted lagoon water lapped at the edges of the city. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026 In a darkly symbolic moment, he was lapped by his own teammate around Lap 54. — Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 7 June 2026 The sitting district attorney appears to have lapped her challengers several times over in fundraising. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026 Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas, is an ideal home base for exploring the United States’ closest Caribbean neighbor, thanks to its dreamy beaches lapped by impossibly blue water and resorts ranging from humble to haute. — Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lapped
  1. washed
  2. splashed
  3. rippled
  4. overlapped
  5. wrapped
  6. bathed
  7. bubbled
  8. enveloped
Verb
  • While getting my hair washed, several workers were coughing and sneezing around me.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The three-compartment sink wasn’t big enough for the pots and pans washed there.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of washed
Verb
  • Brighton splashed £30million on then 18-year-old Kostoulas from Olympiacos in his homeland during last year’s summer window.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The rocket's Super Heavy booster detached from the Starship spacecraft about two minutes into the flight, and splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.
    — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of splashed
Verb
  • Ever since work began on an ICE facility on the outskirts of Gilroy earlier this year, fear has rippled through much of the community.
    — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
  • An audible gasp rippled through the room after the tally of the votes was announced for BPC-157.
    — Alana Semuels, Time, 23 July 2026
Definition of rippled
Verb
  • The roles overlapped, but Robb and the mayor’s office insisted there was a firewall between Robb and the mayor regarding the Lineage fire.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The duo also overlapped at Austria’s RB Salzburg — Glasner as assistant manager between 2012 and 2014, and Schlager as a player from 2016-19 after coming through their youth ranks.
    — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of overlapped
Verb
  • In that incident, Gay used a chain wrapped around his hand to fracture the skull of the teen, court records show.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Dining Room For a hint of color, the walls are wrapped in a peachy grass cloth, Elizabeth Dow Home’s Island textile in Sao Miquel.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrapped
Verb
  • Another dish to look out for is the seared tuna ($44), bathed in a delectable coconut and brown-butter sauce that’s paired with Jimmy Nardello peppers that look spicy but simply offer a fresh crunch.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Odd dreams of pyramid interiors, bathed in a soft blue light.
    — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of bathed
Verb
  • The broiling temperatures released toxic gases and hazardous liquid waste that bubbled up to the surface.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Older residents say hundreds of freshwater outlets once bubbled across this landscape.
    — Umar Farooq, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of bubbled
Verb
  • The shroud of silence and fear that enveloped Syria throughout the Assad decades was gone.
    — Lina Sergie Attar, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
  • More than three hundred unionized workers at the Victoria & Albert Museum are set to vote on a strike action spurred by the broiling heat that has enveloped the city in recent weeks, The Guardian reports.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 27 July 2026
Definition of enveloped

Browse Nearby Words

lapdogs
lapped
lapped (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Lapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lapped. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lapped

Nglish: Translation of lapped for Spanish Speakers

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