1
as in informants
a person who provides information about another's wrongdoing
the drug mule refused to turn rat without a guarantee of immunity
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in lovers
someone who regularly spends time in a particular place
on Friday night the mall rats were out in full force
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in dogs
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
no one can understand what she finds appealing in a rat like him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rats
Sara Talpos — Undark, STAT, 1 June 2026
Maintaining cleanliness and installing physical barriers are effective long-term solutions to prevent rats from invading your garden.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 1 June 2026
Someone says the rats are actually cute — what’s your honest response?
—Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 29 May 2026
Infection occurs when people inhale particles from the urine, feces or saliva of infected mice and rats.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
In fact, our team of shoe experts and gym rats honed in on five budget gym sneakers that clock in at under $200 (sometimes even reaching $60 levels when on sale), without sacrificing an ounce of their technical prowess.
—Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 28 May 2026
While the station lacked the grandeur of its predecessors, the rats could sure scuttle in conveniently.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
People typically get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice—normally when exposed to their urine, droppings and saliva, or sometimes through a bite or scratch—but officials say no rodents have been found on the MV Hondius ship.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Inspectors observed rats and roaches in Dallas food establishments during the latest round of city health inspections, according to the inspection report.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 May 2026
Noun
Sikiric remembers the juice sometimes harbored rats that had been caught and eaten by the pigs in their final hours.
—Sara Talpos — Undark, STAT, 1 June 2026
Maintaining cleanliness and installing physical barriers are effective long-term solutions to prevent rats from invading your garden.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 1 June 2026
Someone says the rats are actually cute — what’s your honest response?
—Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 29 May 2026
Infection occurs when people inhale particles from the urine, feces or saliva of infected mice and rats.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
In fact, our team of shoe experts and gym rats honed in on five budget gym sneakers that clock in at under $200 (sometimes even reaching $60 levels when on sale), without sacrificing an ounce of their technical prowess.
—Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 28 May 2026
While the station lacked the grandeur of its predecessors, the rats could sure scuttle in conveniently.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
People typically get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice—normally when exposed to their urine, droppings and saliva, or sometimes through a bite or scratch—but officials say no rodents have been found on the MV Hondius ship.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Inspectors observed rats and roaches in Dallas food establishments during the latest round of city health inspections, according to the inspection report.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rats
Noun
-
Greylord was a watershed moment in its use of eavesdropping devices and a mole to obtain evidence instead of relying on wrongdoers to become government informants.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
-
The charges do not stem from the general practice of paying informants but from the Justice Department's allegations that the SPLC made these payments without disclosing the practice to donors and by defrauding banks.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
At the end of season two, Lestat and Louis have reunited as lovers.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
7 June 2026
-
For nature lovers, surfers, divers and fishermen, the setting offers both seclusion and connection.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The 10-week-old Boxer has since been treated for Parvovirus — a highly contagious and potentially fatal viral illness that primarily affects young puppies and unvaccinated dogs — in the organization's specialized ICU and is available for adoption at the Sunnyslope Campus in Phoenix.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
-
Dog dumping has become such a problem that the Hartford Animal Shelter in partnership with the Hartford Police Department said it may be forced to start euthanizing healthy dogs as the shelter reaches capacity.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
One of State Security’s main goals, as well as a central source of its strength, is turning civilians into informers.—
Abraham Jiménez Enoa,
The Dial,
19 May 2026
-
And so every regime invests in having student informers.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nilles, meanwhile, won over fans from her first cymbal crash and wove through every drumming nuance created by Peart.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
By the time the series moved to Chicago, the enmity between the New York and Chicago teams—and between the Yankees’ and the Cubs’ fans—was focused on Ruth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
That principle is why coal miners once brought canaries underground, as one emergency medicine doctor explained in a recent court declaration.—
Lisa Song,
ProPublica,
7 May 2026
-
These living materials could also serve as canaries in the coal mine for water safety, glowing brighter or dimming in the presence of specific toxins.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Adam’s been shuttled off to Earth along with the coveted Sword of Power in the aftermath of evil Skeletor (Jared Leto, having a great time in the part) and his horrid denizens taking over his home planet and imprisoning his parents.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
-
Located on the street level of the Harbor Boulevard complex, the new shop gives dessert-loving denizens another place to pick up the quivering treat.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Grotesque sea hags, killer clowns, demonic self-help books and more plague the town and its mayor, Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
-
The four paintings are Joan Miró’s Composition (1953), Maurice Utrillo’s Maison de rendez-vous de chasse de Henri IV, rue Saint-Vincent, Montmartre (1934), Balthus’s Etude pour femme couchée (1948), and Pablo Picasso’s L’Ecuyere et les clowns (1961).—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rats. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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