bat 1 of 2

noun

ˈbat How to pronounce bat (audio)
Definition of batnext
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

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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

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bat

2 of 2

verb

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

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2
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly batted the piñata until it finally broke open

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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

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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
Noun
After one such strikeout Riley slammed his batting helmet to the ground, threw his bat aside and dropped his batting gloves in disgust. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 31 July 2026 The Philadelphia Phillies enter the final days before the MLB trade deadline facing questions that extend beyond simply adding another bat or bullpen arm. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Verb
Xander Bogaerts will bat eighth for a second game in a row and Freddy Fermin is behind the plate and batting ninth. — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2026 Trailing 7-5 entering the top of the ninth, Cerv batted for pitcher Tommy Byrne and homered of Alex Kellner. — Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bat
  1. blow
  2. cane
  3. knock
  4. lick
  5. roam
  6. thump
  7. baton
  8. hit
Noun
  • After Torres broke a tie with a two-run shot in the fifth, Clark delivered his big blow the following inning.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • That was a massive blow, and losing speedy rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell to another knee injury Wednesday didn’t help, either.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • After the end of sugar, the old plantations had begun leasing their fallow cane lands to Big Ag companies, such as Dow, Pioneer, and Brun’s Syngenta, which took advantage of lax regulations to conduct experimental GMO and pesticide testing.
    — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Victim 2, who is a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue employee according to the New York Times, was repeatedly struck with canes and paddles and bled through his underwear and pants because of lacerations to his buttocks, according to the warrant.
    — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
Definition of cane
Verb
  • Starbucks knocked it out of the park Wednesday night, turning in strong quarterly results and lifting its full-year guidance for several key metrics.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 30 July 2026
  • The severe weather took down trees and power lines, knocking more than 26,000 Baltimore Gas & Electric customers offline.
    — Renee Anderson, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of knock
Verb
  • Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, admitted to licking the straw and returning it to the vending machine while recording the act for his online followers.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • That means no tasting cookie dough made with raw eggs, no licking brownie batter off the beaters, and no homemade Caesar dressing made with uncooked yolks.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 23 July 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • The Curiosity rover stumbled on the polygon field while ascending the foothills of a three-mile-high mountain called Mount Sharp, where it’s been roaming since 2014.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 30 July 2026
  • The animals roamed near the Amboseli National Park, which borders a farming and livestock area around 140 miles south of the capital Nairobi, according to the Associated Press.
    — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
Definition of roam
Noun
  • If the offense keeps doing just enough, and Breslow finds some more thump at the deadline, baseball’s hottest team could have staying power.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Duggan Borges gestures around the studio, that thump still coming through the ceiling.
    — Laura Snapes, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
Definition of thump
Noun
  • Tensions escalated after protesters marching toward Parliament were met with a police crackdown earlier in the week, with officers using batons and tear gas to disperse crowds.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • The demonstrations have become one of the most persistent challenges to Modi’s government in recent years, with thousands returning to the streets even after police used tear gas and batons to disperse marchers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of baton
Verb
  • As thousands of professors at in the University of California system say the students entering their classrooms are increasingly under-prepared for university-level math, the university’s timely graduation rates just hit all-time highs.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
  • Average daily rates in Miami hit $302 for both game nights and eves, according to AirDNA.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Definition of hit

Phrases Containing bat

Browse Nearby Words

bastions
bat
bat (around)
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Cite this Entry

“Bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bat. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bat

Nglish: Translation of bat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bat

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