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
Also, these happen, on average, billions of light-years from us, so the energy is dissipated to far less than that of the beat of a bat’s wing on Earth. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026 So if bigger, more mature bats of breeding age are being targeted by hunters, that could affect flying fox populations overall. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
Verb
At one point, Posada requested to be taken out of the lineup after he was penciled to bat ninth. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026 Ryan Greene tracked a puck that bounced at the top of the crease and into the air and batted it past Schmid and into the net. — Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 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
  • New York landing Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker — who has emerged as the draft’s top quarterback prospect — would be a painful blow to Miami, though the Jets have a long tradition of screwing up young QBs.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
  • From there, both teams were trading blows, and the lead, on the scoreboard.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Fortunately, plenty of new high-tech tools offer assistance, including robot guide dogs, a cane-bot (looking a bit like a small R2D2 with giant wheels), multiple types of smart glasses with descriptive audio, and even a haptic vest for blind dogs.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026
  • My wife requires a cane or walker due to spinal stenosis and muscular weakness.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of cane
Verb
  • Notably, Wendy’s let rival Burger King surpass it in US sales this year, knocking it down to the country’s third-biggest burger chain.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
  • After its first outing, Clinton got a handrail to hold onto because the crowd’s reaction had nearly knocked him off the platform.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of knock
Verb
  • After contracting the plague, he was banished to a cave, where a dog brought him bread and healed his wounds by licking them.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • But the lively crew at the urinals was already licking its lips in anticipation.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • The pack of dogs had been roaming onto an oil field in Oxnard, traipsing onto private property and walking perilously close to vehicular traffic.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Biologists know the lands on which panthers prefer to roam, and there’s been proven success when that land is conserved and connected.
    — Max Chesnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of roam
Noun
  • But the knock on them has been the lack of thump in their lineup.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The brutalist thump of drummer Moe Tucker renders the showmen in Led Zeppelin and the Who irrelevant.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of thump
Noun
  • Hundreds of protesters shielding the tent camp were dispersed by police using shields and some baton charges, the Reuters news agency reported.
    — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Queen Sofía is understood never to have loaned pieces from the collection to other family members before, making Leonor’s choice an especially meaningful passing of the sartorial baton.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of baton
Verb
  • Moderna just hit a new high The stock is up about 36% in a month.
    — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Because their immune systems are still developing, influenza can hit them hard and fast and can quickly spiral into serious complications including pneumonia, extreme dehydration, brain inflammation or death.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of hit

Phrases Containing bat

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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 7 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bat

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