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
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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.
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Recent Examples of bat
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 26 May 2026
That is why Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham told pitcher Jesus Luzardo during a mound visit before Machado’s at-bat to not worry about a run scoring.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2026
Kaylee Jones, a sophomore center fielder who batted ninth, helped spark the outburst with her second bunt single.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bat
Noun
Julien is hitless in his last 32 at-bats and 1 for 38 over his last 14 games.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 26 May 2026
That is why Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham told pitcher Jesus Luzardo during a mound visit before Machado’s at-bat to not worry about a run scoring.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Verb
Garcia batted behind star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2026
Kaylee Jones, a sophomore center fielder who batted ninth, helped spark the outburst with her second bunt single.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bat
Noun
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To pay for her medical bills, the family had to sell most of their remaining cattle and goats, a bitter blow after years of drought had already decimated local herds.—
Tommy Trenchard,
NPR,
31 May 2026
-
This makes for a significant setback but not necessarily a fatal blow to the facility.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Most were put to cutting sugar cane and feeding the boiling houses, where the syrup was reduced over open fires, alongside coffee, cotton and indigo.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
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Instead of struggling to get your cane from the overhead bin or waiting for a flight attendant to get it from a plane closet for you, consider this folding cane that can fit under the seat in front of you.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Ross Garcia described the incident in court as an unprovoked attack in which Butler punched Sheron in the jaw, knocked him to the ground and repeatedly struck him in the head, NBC7 reported.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
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Those vouchers knock $120,000 off the Semi’s sticker price, which ranges from $250,000 for a 300-mile version to $290,000 for the 500-mile model, based on a copy of Tesla’s pricing sheet obtained by Forbes.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Just outside the room, Hadley eagerly licked it up.—
Laura Ungar,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
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Just outside the room, Hadley eagerly licked it up.—
Laura Ungar,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Some experts said urban animal parks were too small for creatures that roam extensive distances in the wild.—
Jennifer Peltz,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
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Squirrels are afraid of dogs, especially the big, aggressive ones, which means these rodents shouldn't be a problem when your pooch is roaming free.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
Noun
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You’ll be thrown around in your seat, which moves in sync with the action, along with thumps in the back, splashes of water, blasts of air, smoke, and flashes of light.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
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The Yankees need Wells to provide at least some thump in a bottom third of the order that hasn’t been very good.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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According to the complaint, the same ICE officer had hit Scelfo twice in the leg with a baton during a physical altercation.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
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To help pass the baton to new leaders more smoothly, businesses could think about giving younger leaders strategic responsibility earlier in their careers, supporting senior leaders to act in a coaching or sponsor capacity, or pushing more decisions to frontline teams and their managers.—
David Morel,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The Rockies’ Kyle Karros hit an opposite-field line drive that carried to the right-field warning track, but Lee tracked down the potential extra-base hit on the run, then crashed into the chain-link portion of the fence.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
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The hitting coaches have been really emphasizing it.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bat. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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