LAPPING Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

lapping 1 of 3

noun

as in overlap

a partial covering of one thing by an adjoining member the lapping of the roofing shingles should be several inches in order to avoid leaks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

lapping

2 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of lap

as in washing

to flow along or against the waves gently lapped the sandy shore

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in splashing

to flow in a broken irregular stream the creek lapped along through the ravine before collecting in the pond

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in rippling

to move with a splashing motion a stiff breeze that was causing the lake waters to lap against the hull with some force

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lapping

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of lap

as in overlapping

to lie over parts of one another the armadillo's plates lap tightly so as to form a protective shield

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as in wrapping

to surround or cover closely this recording of the symphony is sure to lap listeners in stereophonic bliss

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 lapping

Noun

Keep going down to the little beach, where two paddleboards and a handful of beach loungers (the good kind, made of fabric and with a footrest) sit at the gentle lapping edge of the sound. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026 The Wave percale sheets are guaranteed to lull you to sleep, like you’re being rocked by the gentle lapping of the ocean. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 13 July 2026 From my perch on a sun lounger, Friendship Bay stretches out below me – the curve of the powdery sand beach, the impossible blue of the sea and the calming lapping of the waves against the shore. — Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 5 Feb. 2026 As Amanyara’s resident wellness expert guided me through a sound healing session and harmonized the vibrations of a Tibetan singing bowl, the lapping of the ocean waves seemed to still. — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026 When the lapping reaches your knees, start to worry. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025 The lapping of the sea at our language is not a difficult concept to fathom. — Adrian Vore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sep. 2025

Verb

The Best Beaches in Albania Impossibly blue skies, a wild and dramatic coast, and warm Mediterranean waters lapping at your feet—welcome to Albania. — Naomi Tomky, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026 But with Russell 11 seconds behind Norris and Antonelli lapping faster, Mercedes ordered a position swap, sacrificing Russell’s potential points gain. — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 To the tune of softly lapping waves, The Inn at Langley revealed its cards slowly in the way quiet luxury tends to do. — Katie Nanton, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026 As her words came out, smoke billowed from her body, filling her clothes, lapping out around her feet in rings. — Gabriel Winslow-Yost, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 The cries of seagulls, water lapping against the boat, the rumble of engines and the arrival of speedboats ferrying cast and crew give the sense of sharing the actors’ long waits on the open water. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026 The result is that while readers have continued lapping up Mating in Captivity, Americans have broadly become worse at taking Perel’s advice. — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026 With just a bit more than a month to go before the primary election on August 18, polls show Byron Donalds lapping the field for the Republican nomination while David Jolly has a solid lead among Democrats. — Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 12 July 2026 In Houston, some drivers were up to their trailer hitches in lapping waters, while photos from Waco, Texas, showed roadways washed away by the storms. — Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 15 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lapping

Noun

There is growing concern around the overlap between the krill fishery and important feeding grounds of the recovering fin whale population.

— Kim S. Bernard, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
Many are directed towards Ryan Giles, their attack-minded left-back, who regularly pushes forward on the overlap and provided eight league assists last season (illustrated below).

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of overlap

Verb

Guidance from the American Academy of Ophthalmology emphasizes a wearer washing their hands thoroughly with fragrance-free soap and water before touching the eye area to insert lenses.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
An employee was washing and rinsing mixing bowls in the front hand wash sink.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of washing

Verb

Part of the problem is that every summer, water pounds down on sidewalks in the Treasure Valley, drops rippling on glassy reflective surfaces, all because of sprinkler jets overshooting the grass and landing on pavement.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026
Still, the hope is that the influx will usher in a larger wave of economic activity in the region, rippling out from Electric Boat and driving increases in tourism, recreational activities and other industries.

— P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of rippling

Verb

This time, his character materializes at a series of gatherings where lawyers, politicians, and bankers (sometimes played by confusingly overlapping actors) nurse cocktails and amiably confess to manipulating the public.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Be sure to start below the injury and wrap upward, overlapping each layer but never so tightly that fingers or toes become numb or painful.

— Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of overlapping

Verb

And Bryan is wrapping his model in gray and pink chiffon because … there is no because.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
RoboCop extends Stevens’ relationship with Amazon MGM Studios after recently wrapping production on a series adaptation of John le Carré’s Legacy of Spies for the studio’s platform MGM+ and BBC.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of wrapping

Verb

The famed Big 5 (elephants, buffalos, leopards, rhinos, and lions) are all easily spotted in these lands, but the diverse habitats provide opportunities for different behavioral sightings, from feeding to bathing and mating.

— Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026
The Traitors star could be seen posing nude from behind while bathing in an outdoor shower.

— Lara Walsh, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of bathing

Verb

Think minimal yet colorful wallpaper, moody color palettes, canopy beds, and most importantly, that warm fuzzy feeling that just keeps bubbling up.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026
The issue is the latest off-field mess for college athletics, bubbling to the surface after various courts issued injunctions allowing fifth-year players to return to school.

— Seth Emerson, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026