1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction
after sawing the board in half, rasp the ends to remove any splinters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
the two siblings seemed intent on rasping each other for the entire car trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to wear
to damage or diminish by continued friction
during the last ice age, glaciers rasped the surface, leaving the deeply scarred rock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rasp
Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2025
Her strong, confident country voice shone through immediately in her performance of this Judds song, with just enough rasp to really give it some edge.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 29 Sep. 2025
Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
Cody Gapko struck the post three times — once with a deflected cross, twice with rasping drives — while Senne Lammens saved Alexander Isak’s shot with an outstretched right foot.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rasp
Noun
Kirbi, that rasp is so beautiful at the top of your register.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2025
Her strong, confident country voice shone through immediately in her performance of this Judds song, with just enough rasp to really give it some edge.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
She’s preoccupied though, training a gun on the facility’s head officer, Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), whose RFK Jr. rasp and licentious focus on Perfidia sets him up as a comedic draw and a convincing picture of America’s sanctioned white violence.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
Cody Gapko struck the post three times — once with a deflected cross, twice with rasping drives — while Senne Lammens saved Alexander Isak’s shot with an outstretched right foot.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rasp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasp
Noun
-
Always use a soft, lint-free microfiber cloth to avoid scratches.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
-
After arriving back home, the visitor also became ill after getting a scratch.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Use this solution to blot the top layer of the mattress, trying to moisten and gently rub versus soak the mattress.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
-
The plastic bristles coax out loose hair as your cat rubs against it.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
If using garden cucumbers, peel off the waxy skin and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds before slicing.—
Martha Stewart,
Martha Stewart,
15 May 2026
-
Brazil beat the Netherlands 3–2 in the quarterfinals and scraped past Sweden 1–0 in the semifinals thanks to a goal from forward Romário.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
That’s what so annoys Erika at some point.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
-
But if creases annoy you, look elsewhere.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
David Letterman and Stephen Colbert stood on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, wearing suits and clutching watermelons to their chests.—
Elahe Izadi,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
-
Bella wore a gold dress from Michael Kors's spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Mr Cobra opens like a dark, cobwebbed staircase leading into a vast and foreboding space, all frantic flute and piano, creaks, and bone-chilling screeches (not to mention a slutty monologue seemingly communicated via Google Translate).—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Your baby was waking at every creak of the floorboard, every passing car, every branch scraping the window.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the old system, the administrator found an incident report from April 30, 2002, filed by an officer named Darrell Mayhew, who had found Djena by herself in the park near the Toures’ residence.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Osment filed for divorce on March 7, 2025, citing irreconcilable differences.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
When Riley returned to the table, La La told me that his high profile in the city sometimes bugged her, because fans were always interrupting them, even sitting down at their table.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Although pest control companies offer lethal solutions such as carpenter bee traps or chemical treatments, the best way to keep carpenter bees from bugging you is using stained, sealed, varnished or treated wood in building projects.—
Sarah Linn
April 24,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rasp. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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