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to cap

to cap

51 4.1
To limit the number or amount to a maximum
  • verb
  • /kæp/
: limitar
  • Should it be capped at a certain number?
  • cap prices
  • cap interest rates
  • cap emissions

I'll make sure to cap delivery fees in the future.

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Examples

  • We learned the plaintiffs' attorneys fees were capped at 32 percent up to $400mn, above which, their fees dropped to 24 percent.

  • Most runners cap it at five percent.

  • I'll make sure to cap delivery fees in the future.

  • Speaker, to help people struggling to make ends meet, many politicians have become convinced that we need to cap energy prices.

  • Some believe Congress may cut the $10,000 amount or cap the total amount of gifts.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Policy File may have included more policy papers, but the interface capped results at 5,000 per search.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The number of representatives has been capped at 435 since the Apportionment Act of 1911.

    Academic text (2018)
  • The government decided to cap the price of gas to help consumers during the crisis.

  • Many states have laws that cap the interest rates on payday loans.

  • The school choose to cap class sizes to ensure a better learning environment.

Synonyms

to limit
vsto cap
465 2.1

To control how much or how often something happens

is specifically about placing an upper bound rather than general control
to throttle
vsto cap
10 7.5

To reduce or control how much of something is allowed

sets a fixed maximum rather than actively reducing flow

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To make something larger or more in number

Idioms

to bust a cap
  • Offensive
11 9.9

Shoot someone with a gun, often during violence or threats

cap-a-pie
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Completely dressed from head to foot

7.7

In a humble way when asking for help or forgiveness

6.3

An achievement you can be proud of

To make a big decision you cannot change that may be risky

9.9

To try to get someone to marry you

Phrasal Verbs

to cap off
  • Informal
14 3.7

Finish something with a special final action like a show or speech

1 5.7

To finish something in a very impressive way

Compounds

47 1.2

A soft hat with a rounded top and a stiff front bill to shield the eyes

22 3.4

A thick layer of ice and snow that always covers large land areas like the poles or mountain tops

blasting cap
  • Specialized
13 7.9

A small device that makes a larger explosive go off

9 1.3

A waterproof cap you wear over your hair to keep it dry while showering

thinking cap
  • Informal
8 5.3

A quiet, focused way of thinking to solve a problem

small cap
  • Specialized
6 6.3

A company on the stock market with a small market value

6 2.6

A cover that you put on a camera lens to protect it from dust and damage

4 3.6

A tight knitted wool cap that covers the head and ears, often with a point or tassel

large cap
  • Jargon
3 4.4

A company worth more than about ten billion dollars

distributor cap
  • Specialized
3 6.9

A protective cover in a car engine that holds the wires to the spark plugs

ski cap
  • UK
2 1.3

A close-fitting wool hat that keeps the head and ears warm

small-cap
  • Specialized
2 7.0

A company or stock with a small market value, often under one billion dollars

2 2.5

A close-fitting cap worn to keep the hair dry while swimming

2 9.2

A pointed paper hat teachers put on a student as punishment in old classrooms

2 4.5

A close-fitting knitted hat worn in cold weather, often by sailors

coonskin cap
  • Archaic
2 9.9

A hat made from raccoon fur with the tail hanging down the back

1 1.0

A tight hat that keeps hair dry while you swim

1 4.4

A cover for the radiator opening that holds the cooling liquid and keeps pressure

1 2.7

A flat hat made of cloth with a small stiff front

cervical cap
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A small cup-shaped device that fits over the cervix to prevent pregnancy

percussion cap
  • Archaic
1 9.7

A small metal piece with powder that explodes when hit to fire a gun

dunce's cap
  • Literature
1 9.9

A pointed paper hat put on students' heads to shame them

1 4.2

A hat with a flat round top and a stiff front that sticks out, worn by police or army

1 3.4

A rounded hat with a small stiff brim at the front, often made of wool or tweed

1 5.8

A patch of yellow, greasy, scaly skin on a baby's scalp

1 2.8

A flat round cap with a small or no brim worn by people who work on ships

1 2.3

A hat with a front brim that you wear when playing golf

small cap
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A capital letter the same height as a small letter used for style

1 3.1

A cap that fits tightly to stop liquids from spilling

1 7.9

A flat foldable cap worn with a military uniform

1 9.9

A very poisonous white mushroom that can kill people and is often mistaken for edible mushrooms

1 7.2

A tight cap with a small front brim worn by horse riders

1 7.7

A small pointed hat worn with a military uniform that folds flat

1 4.8

A flat round hat with a visor that people wear with a military or official uniform

fool's cap
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A cone-shaped paper hat teachers put on students' heads to shame them long ago

1 7.2

A cap with a flat round top and a short visor worn on boats

1 9.7

A lily with petals that bend backward and bright, bell-shaped flowers

cap screw
  • Specialized
1 6.6

A screw with a finished head that you screw into a threaded hole to hold machine parts together

liberty cap
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A tight cone-shaped cap worn as a sign of freedom

1 9.3

A mushroom whose cap turns into a black liquid after it drops its spores

1 7.2

A band around the lower part of a cap often showing rank or decoration

1 5.7

A close-fitting knitted hat with a hanging tail or pom-pom that you wear in cold weather

wishing cap
  • Literature
1 9.9

A cap that makes your wishes come true when you wear it

bishop's cap
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A small plant that lives for more than one year with a seed pod shaped like a bishop's hat

A lid you open by turning to remove from a bottle or jar

1 9.0

A North American wildflower with orange-red spotted petals that point downward

A small tool for removing metal caps from bottles

cap shroud
  • Specialized
9.9

A rope or wire near the top of a sailboat mast that holds it steady

A small forest plant with a low leaf cluster and tiny green flowers on thin stems

A mushroom whose cap turns into black ink when it gets old

root cap
  • Specialized
6.8

A small group of cells at the tip of a plant root that protects it as it grows through soil

A common white mushroom with a long shaggy cap that people eat

How Restrictive

ban
344 1.2
to restrict
188 3.1
to cap
51 4.1
to limit
465 2.1
to permit
441 1.5

Surface Forms

cap infinitive
capped past
capped past participle
capping present participle
caps third person singular

Etymology

To cap as a verb comes from the noun cap, a cover; to cap something is to 'put a lid on' it, stopping more from coming. That is why to cap class size or costs means to limit them.