rasp 1 of 2

as in scratch
a harsh grating sound the rusted lock opened with a rasp

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rasp

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction after sawing the board in half, rasp the ends to remove any splinters

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2
as in to scratch
to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the sound of fingernails rasping on the blackboard makes me cringe

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3
4

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 rasp
Noun
In this case, there’s not much in the way of medication that can help; Dr. Mercado notes that OTC drugs haven’t actually been proven effective for softening a bad rasp. Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Feb. 2025 Vernon also lent his signature rasp to collaborations with some of the biggest stars in music, from Taylor Swift, Travis Scott, and Charli XCX. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
And then Elisabeth uses it, and her spine splits open, leaving her a rasping husk of flesh while an alternate self rises, in the dewy buff, to survey her taut flesh with a clinical eye in the mirror. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2024 What endures is the rasping byplay, the soaring exasperation, the tango of opposing temperaments finding fleeting common ground. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for rasp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasp
Noun
  • Founders are already wrestling with self-doubt, market uncertainty, and the immense pressure of building something from scratch.
    David Nour, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Frost was a healthy scratch at times in each of the last two seasons despite being one of the Flyers’ few serviceable centers, while Farabee also was scratched earlier this season as Tortorella attempted to get more out of the former first-round pick.
    Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Pearl rubbed Broome’s back as the cart took off down the concourse.
    Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Adding to its innovation, the 'Monaco' integrates honeycomb thermoplastic heel technology, providing convenience by allowing natural motion without stiffness or rigidity, rubbing away material in other shoemakers usually.
    Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • However, a report in 404 Media seemed to reveal that at least some of the training data included video scraped from the YouTube channels of popular influencers, film studios, and more.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Everytown hopes to make the database as comprehensive as possible by using more sources, including potentially scraping information from law enforcement posts on social media sites like X, formerly Twitter, Suplina said.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Waltz now has a bunch of top officials, and their teams, who are annoyed at him for drawing bad publicity.
    Marc Caputo, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025
  • However, standing in the middle of a road to capture the Eiffel Tower in the background is not only unsafe but can also annoy locals.
    Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Jackson has worn that same number throughout his football career and has won two MVPs with it.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Two of the rescuers who get out of the vehicles are wearing uniforms.
    Abeer Salman, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • My assumption is that most rational human beings would happily stay in a warm and cozy office and simply listen to the building creak and groan under the force of the violent gusts.
    Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The set is a ship’s deck that tilts and creaks ominously while a screen plays eerily textured footage of a roiling ocean.
    Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Shares in Donald Trump's social media company sank in morning trading on Wednesday, a day after the company filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission that could allow the president's trust to sell more than $2 billion of shares.
    Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2025
  • The Kennewick School Board filed a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights against Washington state's Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal this week.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Ema then asks the question that’s been bugging her—why hasn’t Leo’s body been found?
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Ferrell bugs his eyes out and sighs a series of increasingly desperate spit-takes, but this project was probably doomed from the get-go.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rasp. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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