strap
Americannoun
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straps
plural
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a narrow strip of flexible material, especially leather, as for fastening or holding things together.
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a looped band by which an item may be held, pulled, lifted, etc., as a bootstrap or a ring that standing passengers may hold on to in a bus, subway, or the like.
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a strop for a razor.
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a long, narrow object or piece of something; strip; band.
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an ornamental strip or band.
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Machinery. a shallow metal fitting surrounding and retaining other parts, as on the end of a rod.
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Nautical, Machinery. strop.
verb (used with object)
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straps,
present (3rd person singular)
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strapped,
past participle, past
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strapping
present participle
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to fasten or secure with a strap or straps.
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to fasten (a thing) around something in the manner of a strap.
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to sharpen on a strap or strop.
to strap a razor.
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to beat or flog with a strap.
noun
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a long strip of leather or similar material, for binding trunks, baggage, or other objects
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a strip of leather or similar material used for carrying, lifting, or holding
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a loop of leather, rubber, etc, suspended from the roof in a bus or train for standing passengers to hold on to
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a razor strop
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commerce a triple option on a security or commodity consisting of one put option and two call options at the same price and for the same period Compare strip 2
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derogatory a shameless or promiscuous woman
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a beating with a strap as a punishment
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short for shoulder strap
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informal to achieve one's full potential or become fully effective
verb
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to tie or bind with a strap
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to beat with a strap
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to sharpen with a strap or strop
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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understrapnoun
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restrapverb (used with object)
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understrapverb (used with object)
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straplikeadjective
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strappableadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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strapsimple
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strapssimple
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have strappedperfect
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has strappedperfect
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am strappingprogressive
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are strappingprogressive
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is strappingprogressive
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have been strappingperfect progressive
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has been strappingperfect progressive
Past
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strappedsimple
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had strappedperfect
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was strappingprogressive
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were strappingprogressive
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had been strappingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of strap
First recorded in 1565–75; variant of strop
Explanation
A strip of material used to hold something in place is a strap, like your bathing suit's shoulder straps, the strap on your book bag, or the strap of your seatbelt. As a verb, strap means "to secure with straps": "Let me strap my backpack on before I climb on your motorcycle." Standing passengers on buses and subways are sometimes called straphangers, named for the habit of grabbing the leather or webbed straps that once commonly hung from above. Some modes of transportation still have these straps, though they've increasingly been replaced with poles and handles.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Elsewhere on Saturday, French luxury house Hermes presented its women's collection in the courtyard of the elite Republican Guard police unit in Paris, making the zip its leitmotif and the ultra-fine strap an accessory.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
They are a triumph of engineering, squeezing a fighter pilot helmet’s worth of optics and computing into frames that, while not exactly svelte, at least don’t require a chin strap.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
“We’re asking airmen to strap into jets that their grandfathers, fathers and now they are flying, and it is time for a reset,” said Doug Birkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
“Ragin’ ” Al, a low-ranked fighter known for decent grappling and heavy hitting, had no business fighting for the lightweight strap.
From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2026
Bulky, with a strap to hang around your neck and a slim slot along its front, it was the kind of device that seemed ancient.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
Look at those Watteau straps in the back, dripping with rhinestones and looping, swinging, amplifying the dynamics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Archaeologists later excavated a sword still in its scabbard, decorated straps, buckles, rings, ornaments and chariot wheel axle caps.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The looks are giving armor — not necessarily metal armor, but you have the fur, the leather, all the straps and headpieces, and it’s kind of like you’re protecting yourself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
As ever, Zendaya stole the show with a floor-length Tamara Ralph champagne silk crepe gown with spider webby straps, matching the white carpet in Leicester Square.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
It was lovely to see my grandmother's feet again in those old-fashioned black shoes with their straps and buttons.
From "The Witches" by Roald Dahl
"We have to balance between the smaller customers and also those larger customers who might be equally vulnerable, a family with children, could be equally strapped for money."
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
The CrossWave’s trap is easily accessed through a hatch in the aft deck—or, it would have been, but for the large icebox strapped to the tubular mounting bracket.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Hopkins wore this orange prison uniform, straitjacket and muzzle when Lecter is transported under heavy security, strapped upright to a hand truck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Neeleman also vocally refutes the idea of being a tradwife while, for example, showcasing the joys of making homemade cheese while an infant is strapped to her.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
Dad didn’t say a word as Scoob gingerly placed it there and strapped it in with the seat belt.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
In an analysis of the incident, computer scientist Cal Newport likened OpenAI’s training approach to strapping a Weedwacker to your dog to do yard work.
From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026
Groups of friends are still singing the words to their favorite Soulja Boy songs and parents are strapping their antsy toddlers into strollers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
And even though strapping on a fitness tracker already means accepting—and trusting—a company’s health rules, Tanwar wants full control over his own data to the extent possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The 2021 US Open champion returned to the court on Saturday to test her fitness and, wearing strapping around her lower right leg, started with a gentle hour-long session with her team.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
“How’s that big strapping brother of yours? Still saving lives?”
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
