rat (on)

Definition of rat (on)next
1
as in to split (on)
to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities how much—or how little—did the fuzz have to pay you to rat on us?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to desert
to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another many party operatives ratted on the senator's candidacy once her poll numbers started to slip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rat (on)
Verb
  • Instead of the live stream being cut, or at the very least muted between players talking to reporters, KCRA's rolled on, and two female reporters in attendance were caught making quite the admissions about LaVine and Simmons.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Following the operation, Dasha will be on complete vocal rest — absolutely no talking allowed — for two weeks, then will begin vocal rehab to learn how to talk and sing properly a few weeks later.
    — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • His teeth desert his mouth; his digestion revolts; his heart appears frequently to announce its forthcoming resignation.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The president’s 2024 campaign leaned into crypto to attract young men, a demographic that is deserting Republicans in the midterms.
    — Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • At the opening, Lafayette 148 NorthPark will feature its fall 2026 collection, including exclusive leather colorways created for Dallas, precise tailoring and signature white shirts informed by the archives and three decades of craftsmanship.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Livia’s unease informs her skepticism of politics; in linking the two, Kingsolver conflates class and culture, using the former as an excuse for what really just seems to be Livia’s constitutional conservatism.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But Moscow has rejected a ceasefire, saying a comprehensive peace deal must be agreed rather than a temporary truce.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The groups behind the #BlockTheMerger coalition, which had amassed more than 5,700 signatories from actors, filmmakers and industry workers opposed to the deal, filed a brief with the court urging Martínez-Olguín to reject the settlement.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Joe Raedle/Getty Images A North Miami Beach, Florida, mom is facing child neglect charges after allegedly abandoning her four children -- including a 2-month-old and a 2-year-old -- to go on a cruise to the Bahamas, according to court documents.
    — Clara McMichael, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the prime minister is having to claw back progressives who defected to the Green Party as left-wing factions abandoned Starmer’s Labour over the party’s stance on issues like net zero and the Gaza conflict.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • When the Commerce Department cut off sea grants for Maine’s flagship university, Collins called Secretary Howard Lutnick to save them.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But the President has not yet followed through on such an action, which would cut off global supplies from the world’s largest diesel exporter and likely worsen shortages around the world.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Rat (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rat%20%28on%29. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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