the ratings
plural noun
: numbers that show how many people watch or listen to a particular television or radio program
a show that's down in the ratings.
Examples of the ratings in a Sentence
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With Kurtis, Jacobson, fellow anchorman Harry Porterfield, weathermen John Coughlin and Harry Volkman, and sports director Johnny Morris at the helm, the Channel 2 News hit number one in the ratings in 1979.
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Adam Harrington, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
UConn, Quinnipiac and Yale were sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively, in the ratings index, but the NCAA looks to avoid conference rivals playing in the first round.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2026
That being said, CNN is a substantially stronger business than CBS News, despite neither outlet dominating the ratings charts.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
But when the ratings did come out, Dees had exploded in the demographics KHJ was looking to build, primarily listeners aged 18-34.
—Richard Wagoner, Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the ratings
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Adam Harrington, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
UConn, Quinnipiac and Yale were sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively, in the ratings index, but the NCAA looks to avoid conference rivals playing in the first round.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2026
That being said, CNN is a substantially stronger business than CBS News, despite neither outlet dominating the ratings charts.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
But when the ratings did come out, Dees had exploded in the demographics KHJ was looking to build, primarily listeners aged 18-34.
—Richard Wagoner, Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the ratings
Cite this Entry
“The ratings.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20ratings. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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