as in drums
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
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as in drains
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely
the oil company tapped that first well completely dry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taps
Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
How to appeal strike zone decisions in ABS To request a review, a player taps his hat or helmet.
—Neil Nakahodo, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Nevertheless, the film shines with atmospheric nuances and Ringwald’s away-from-school life (working in a record store, tending her dad) taps into common teen-age problems.
—Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
This is an area of low pressure that forms west to northwest of Hawai’i during the cool season (November through March) and often taps into subtropical moisture.
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 24 Mar. 2026
The bill taps into one-time, existing state funding.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 23 Mar. 2026
Japan taps strategic reserves, South Korea explores coal and nuclear power, and Vietnam braces for potential jet fuel shortages as countries manage energy crises.
—Sheikh Saaliq, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Independence Eve, a free, popular program that taps live orchestral music and a drone show to celebrate Independence Day, will not take place this year on July 3, said Eric Lazzari, executive director of the Civic Center Conservancy, which works with the city to program and maintain the park.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
Beneath the landscape, a geoexchange system composed of 16 trenches, each roughly 10 feet deep and 150 feet long, taps the earth’s stable temperature to handle heating and cooling.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2026
Jakob Roze, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
But even as these programs help rural towns and cities incrementally fix and upgrade drinking water systems, Hoosiers like Hobbs and Davis still face discolored water running from their taps.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026
The research, published in Water, provides a detailed look at what was actually coming out of people’s taps in the wake of the crisis.
—Bridget Shirvell, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
Gabi Rae, a spokesperson for the town, said Erie was perilously close to having taps run dry because so many residents had started watering their lawns early amid the unseasonable heat.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
Stanford psychiatrist Anna Lembke, author of Dopamine Nation and an expert witness called by the plaintiffs in the Meta and YouTube trial, argues that compulsive tech use taps into the brain’s reward circuitry in ways that mirror drug addiction.
—Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
These come as touch-sensitive points that respond to different taps and holds.
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2026
One roach died under the beer taps, and 30 flies played in the air next to the beer taps.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
The viral moment taps into years of lingering public skepticism and conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s 2019 death.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
The event taps into a broader effort by the entire Cannes ecosystem to converse with the creator industry, with TikTok having come on board as a festival sponsor back in 2022 — the first digital-media app to do so.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
How to appeal strike zone decisions in ABS To request a review, a player taps his hat or helmet.
—Neil Nakahodo, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Nevertheless, the film shines with atmospheric nuances and Ringwald’s away-from-school life (working in a record store, tending her dad) taps into common teen-age problems.
—Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
This is an area of low pressure that forms west to northwest of Hawai’i during the cool season (November through March) and often taps into subtropical moisture.
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 24 Mar. 2026
The bill taps into one-time, existing state funding.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 23 Mar. 2026
Japan taps strategic reserves, South Korea explores coal and nuclear power, and Vietnam braces for potential jet fuel shortages as countries manage energy crises.
—Sheikh Saaliq, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Independence Eve, a free, popular program that taps live orchestral music and a drone show to celebrate Independence Day, will not take place this year on July 3, said Eric Lazzari, executive director of the Civic Center Conservancy, which works with the city to program and maintain the park.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
Beneath the landscape, a geoexchange system composed of 16 trenches, each roughly 10 feet deep and 150 feet long, taps the earth’s stable temperature to handle heating and cooling.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
Return your right hand to the floor and repeat on the other side (this time, left hand taps right shoulder).
—Jakob Roze, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
But even as these programs help rural towns and cities incrementally fix and upgrade drinking water systems, Hoosiers like Hobbs and Davis still face discolored water running from their taps.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026
The research, published in Water, provides a detailed look at what was actually coming out of people’s taps in the wake of the crisis.
—Bridget Shirvell, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2026
Gabi Rae, a spokesperson for the town, said Erie was perilously close to having taps run dry because so many residents had started watering their lawns early amid the unseasonable heat.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
Stanford psychiatrist Anna Lembke, author of Dopamine Nation and an expert witness called by the plaintiffs in the Meta and YouTube trial, argues that compulsive tech use taps into the brain’s reward circuitry in ways that mirror drug addiction.
—Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
These come as touch-sensitive points that respond to different taps and holds.
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2026
One roach died under the beer taps, and 30 flies played in the air next to the beer taps.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
The viral moment taps into years of lingering public skepticism and conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s 2019 death.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taps
valves
Noun
-
The sink valves were incorrectly connected, causing continuous pressure and risk of cross-contamination between the chemical dispenser and potable water.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Most existing compression systems rely on large control boxes that regulate multiple valves.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taps. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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