rape 1 of 2

1
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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2
as in kidnaping
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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Examples 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
Centrist Democrats are pro-choice, unequivocally in the case of rape and the health of the mother, but accept limitations at the point of fetal viability. Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 7 Dec. 2024 Police say a Louisville cold case involving the rape of a 17-year-old girl in 2005 has been solved nearly two decades later with DNA testing. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 6 Dec. 2024 In September 2023, Williams announced the indictment of Hecker in connection with the rape of a teenager on Jan. 1, 1975 and Dec. 31, 1976. Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024 Tate has also been accused of rape, and their case remains ongoing. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024 But here in Avignon – and nearby Mazan where the rapes took place – the trial has touched a particular nerve with local women, with something resembling fandom for Ms. Pelicot. Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Dec. 2024 There were no connections between Tracy and Guillot Jr and detectives believe this was a stranger abduction, rape and murder. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 2 Dec. 2024 Licenses are only granted if the prospective employer meets certain criteria, including having no previous convictions for rape or human trafficking. Anna Cooban, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024 Anonymous rape threats have been left on the TikTok videos of women denouncing the election results. Christine Fernando, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024
Verb
What To Know In a civil suit filed in a New York federal court on December 8, an anonymous plaintiff alleged that she was raped at the age of 13 while attending an afterparty following the MTV Video Music Awards in New York City on September 7, 2000. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024 The woman, who filed under Jane Doe and is being represented by Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, claimed she was raped by Carter and Combs after she was driven to an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000 as a still-unnamed female celebrity watched. Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 17 Dec. 2024 Mangum later claimed that she was raped by several attendees, including university students. The Editors, National Review, 17 Dec. 2024 Graves filed a federal lawsuit in New York claiming she was raped by Combs and his former bodyguard in 2001, an allegation later disputed by the bodyguard, Joseph Sherman, in a November countersuit. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024 Mangum later accuses several players of raping her during the party early on March 14. Alaa Elassar, CNN, 14 Dec. 2024 The kidnappers, who repeatedly raped Zhang, eventually drove Lin to a wooded area in Queens, where one of them shot him twice in the head. John Annese, New York Daily News, 14 Dec. 2024 However, the suit was refiled on Sunday (Dec. 8) to include Carter, claiming that the mogul raped the girl while Diddy and an unnamed celebrity woman watched. Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 13 Dec. 2024 Trump campaigned on resuming federal executions and expanding their use to kill people convicted of drug trafficking and human smuggling, migrants who kill U.S. citizens and police officers, and those convicted of raping children. Brian Bennett, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rape
Noun
  • For years, Austin schools had struggled to clear thousands of overdue requests from families that students get evaluated for special education services, which is a law violation.
    Keri Heath, Austin American-Statesman, 15 Dec. 2024
  • Even as the Supreme Court has narrowed the pathways for victims of federal agents' constitutional violations to obtain relief, victims may demand compensation from state and local police who directly violate civil rights or conspire to do so.
    Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The lawsuit alleges the restaurant violated the Texas Dram Shop Act by failing to uphold its staff to safely sell alcoholic beverages.
    Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Faced with community complaints, Mayor Karen Bass retools her affordable housing strategy July 6, 2024 This summer, low-income housing advocates sued the city alleging that Feldstein Soto and Park, with the tacit support of Bass, violated fair housing laws by slow-walking the project.
    Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.
    Jacky Wong, WSJ, 6 Feb. 2023
  • Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.
    Reuters, NBC News, 31 Jan. 2023
Noun
  • For about half of those cases, optional criteria were used to help classify a person’s disappearance as an abduction or voluntary, according to an NCIC report.
    Amanda Musa, CNN, 15 Dec. 2024
  • Court records obtained by FOX 4 Kansas City state that Malone contacted Barry County Sheriff’s deputies on Monday, November 25, to report Lewis’ possible abduction.
    Stepheny Price, Fox News, 4 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Posey wasn’t sufficiently deterred by the fact that signing Adames, who had been extended a qualifying offer by the Brewers, will force the Giants to sacrifice their second- and fifth-round picks along with $1 million in international bonus money from their 2026 pool.
    Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Meanwhile, in 1739 Scotland, Roger (Richard Rankin) and Buck (Diarmaid Murtagh) track down the tinker who lost a bet and was forced to part with Roger’s father’s WWI identification tags.
    Lincee Ray, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near rape

Cite this Entry

“Rape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rape. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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