taps 1 of 3

Definition of tapsnext
present tense third-person singular of tap

taps

2 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of tap

taps

3 of 3

noun

plural of tap
as in valves
a fixture for controlling the flow of a liquid turn the tap to the right for cold water and to the left for hot water

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 taps
Verb
Completes his own 360 spin, but taps the wall with his left-front, damaging his car’s left steering arm. Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 11 May 2026 Some recipes include orange juice and peach preserves, but ours taps pineapple juice for brightness and sweetness. Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 9 May 2026 The jelly tote bag taps that same translucent, glossy finish, but with a more elevated, everyday feel. Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 7 May 2026 Highway To Heaven taps into the current popularity of feel-good programming. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 May 2026 The line taps into Eastern herbal medicine and smells incredible—a waft of botanicals that stays with you all day. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2026 In addition, the order taps Treasury and the National Economic Council to draft legislative recommendations that could expand the concept further, including by automatically enrolling workers in private-sector IRAs and by making more workers eligible for the Saver’s Match. Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026 This taps the wisdom of the group, and an elevated sense of shared purpose is realized. Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026 Why this situation matters beyond the settlement This case taps into something bigger than one payout. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
Still, the advisory taps into growing anxiety around kids’ screen time. Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 20 May 2026 The program includes taps, raising of the flag, the national anthem, prayers, reading of names of past veterans. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026 The feature works by taking screenshots automatically and interacting with the user interface just like a human user would, with virtual taps and swipes. Paul Monckton, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026 Here, 24 taps feature a wide range of styles, from hoppy and light to sour, dark, and experimental, with four core beers always on offer. Vivian Chung, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2026 The city, in partnership with the Veterans Coalition of Coral Springs, is planning a ceremony with mayoral remarks, the sounding of taps, presentation of colors, wreath placement, volley salute and more. Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 14 May 2026 After more than 30 years of pouring drinks in Folsom, the taps at City Slickers have run dry. Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026 The outage impacted around 420 water taps serving roughly 300-350 homes. Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 13 May 2026 While America’s oil drillers have started to turn the taps on, executives have warned that inventories are likely to keep falling in the short-term. Grant Smith, Fortune, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taps
Verb
  • Krieger and Densmore, the two surviving members of The Doors, are the backbone of the video, revisiting the signature guitar and drums parts more than a half-century after they were originally laid to wax.
    Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Instead of another room with a priest and young woman growling on the bed, the exorcisms in The Wailing are accompanied by chanting crowds, firepits, and drums beating as a great spectacle is made of the ritual.
    Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Leaking faucets, pipes, and air conditioning units should be repaired, and the ground next to the foundation should be sloped so that surface water drains away from the building.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 14 May 2026
  • Most varieties prefer full sun to partial shade and rich, slightly acidic soil that drains well.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • These include not releasing until the pressure isn’t a problem and easy-release steam valves.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
  • The technology could enable the creation of reconfigurable grippers for delicate multi-object manipulation and temperature-tunable valves for fluid control.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 May 2026
Verb
  • Teal'c takes out some frustrations on an unlucky grunt who bangs him with a door at the start of every time loop, and O'Neill gets to (temporarily) sample the will-they side of his will-they-won't-they relationship with Carter.
    Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Another bangs his head against the wall after expressing suicidal thoughts.
    Morgan Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Providing the voice of one of the many alien characters is Martin Scorsese, who has some amusing moments with his typically rapid-fire delivery as a nervous street food vendor whom Djarin pumps for information.
    Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
  • Sabrina Carpenter wore satin Dior bow slingbacks at Dior’s cruise 2027 show in Los Angeles last week, and Bella Hadid chose Jimmy Choo Love pumps with bow details at a Revolve event in March.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 18 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Taps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taps. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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