as in to drum
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
Relevance
as in to drain
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely
the oil company tapped that first well completely dry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 tap
Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 28 May 2025
As part of a new artificial intelligence experiment, the button has been removed for users tapped into the search engine's AI program, Google Labs.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 28 May 2025
Martin Kaste, NPR, 24 May 2025
For those people who rely on Voice Assistants, they can be summoned with a single tap of the headphones.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tap
Verb
From the runway resurgence of boho style to the meteoric rise of the ballet sneaker, there are plenty of fashion trends to tap into ahead of this season’s music lineup.
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 28 May 2025
As part of a new artificial intelligence experiment, the button has been removed for users tapped into the search engine's AI program, Google Labs.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 28 May 2025
Noun
Now the Trump administration is turning off that tap.
—Martin Kaste, NPR, 24 May 2025
For those people who rely on Voice Assistants, they can be summoned with a single tap of the headphones.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tap
valve
Noun
-
Maybe as battery tech evolves, the DRAGON drone will return as the envy of all drones, snaking its way through the skies, turning on and off industrial water valves everywhere.—
Joe Salas
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2025
-
The May 6 attempt was scrubbed two hours before liftoff because of valve on ULA’s upper Centaur stage that teams continue to investigate.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tap. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share