1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
a sharp bat with a rolled-up newspaper and that fly was a goner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in cane
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
riot policemen armed with bats and tear gas
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to knock
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
batted the lamp off the table with one strike
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
batted the piñata until it finally broke open
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to roam
to move about from place to place aimlessly
on Sunday afternoons we'd pile into Father's car and bat around the countryside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of bat
Will Sammon, New York Times, 6 June 2025
The Rangers won the World Series thanks in part to a collection of blistering bats that punished quality pitchers.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
The Justice Department is now going to bat for Trump, filing a friend-of-the-court brief backing the president’s position.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bat
Noun
On Tuesday, left fielder Brandon Nimmo failed to make a catch on a tough ball with some funky spin off Freddie Freeman’s bat on the last play of the game.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 6 June 2025
The Rangers won the World Series thanks in part to a collection of blistering bats that punished quality pitchers.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
Verb
Will Smith is batting .331 and leads NL catchers in WAR.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
The Justice Department is now going to bat for Trump, filing a friend-of-the-court brief backing the president’s position.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bat
Noun
-
Khan feared that delaying his departure beyond the deadline might have resulted in his wife and children being hauled off to a police station along with him, which would have been a blow to his family’s dignity.—
Elena Becatoros,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2025
-
Losing Senga for an extended period would be a major blow for the Mets, but there's still reason to believe the team will explore trades for its pitchers even with him sidelined.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Studying cane fires when few occur guarantees skewed findings.—
Colin Walkes,
Sun Sentinel,
11 June 2025
-
Because sugar cane absorbs more CO2 while growing than the amount that is released when making the packaging, this is considered a carbon-negative packaging solution, giving this sunscreen option bonus points for eco-friendliness.—
Mariana Zapata,
Travel + Leisure,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
Remember, as little as 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 June 2025
-
One of the windows got shattered and he was knocked unconscious.—
Rachel Uranga,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
The flames that licked through the football fields and tennis courts at Pali High devoured touchstones of an iconic campus—featured in films like Carrie and Freaky Friday.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
5 June 2025
-
Besides, Angela already got her lick back from Porsha’s comments about Charles by instigating the already precarious relationship between Porsha and her bestie and bringing Drew the news that Porsha filmed with Dennis.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
Tesla’s robotaxis will roam city streets, and humanoid robots dubbed Optimus will perform everyday tasks.—
Caroline Petrow-Cohen,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
-
Since then, Tex, who sports a yellow ear tag, has been roaming around and randomly making appearances.—
Alice Jones Webb,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
The Cardinals have enough right-handed thump (especially with Herrera) to utilize Burleson at his strength.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
Literal flames surrounded the glow, both repelling and drawing you in more, followed by two loud, disorienting thumps.—
Christopher Rosa,
Glamour,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
When funding for these circulars came to an end, Fred picked up the eclipse baton and with the help of Canadian meteorologist Jay Anderson, produced their own eclipse circulars, funded under the auspices of NASA.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
3 June 2025
-
YoungBoy takes the baton and aims at his detractors.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
Lightning hits the United States approximately 25 million times annually.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 June 2025
-
At the end of February, a pedestrian was hit in West London by an ebike rider in West London — not a rental or sharing scheme, to be clear — and died after a month in hospital.—
Nicole Kobie,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bat. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share