rat race

noun

: strenuous, wearisome, and usually competitive activity or rush

Examples of rat race in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

However, lazy girl jobs might be the right fit for workers who don’t want to join the corporate rat race—and others could take on the gig as a stepping stone to their true passion. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 May 2026

But would Miller even want that rat race if any of them wanted him? — Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026

But in its second episode, which aired on Sunday—and is, in my estimation, the show’s greatest hour yet—Industry takes a detour from the London rat race. — Judy Berman, Time, 19 Jan. 2026

While some users view these platforms as a way to earn some extra cash on the weekend, Rodgers and others are using them as a launch pad into entrepreneurship and a way to escape the 9-to-5 rat race. — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 31 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rat race

• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace
• blackface
• boldface
• bookcase
• braincase
• briefcase
• carcase