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

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

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

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
Noun
Because third baseman Graham Pauley is so gifted defensively, the Marlins kept waiting and waiting for his bat to come alive — and stay alive. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026 Testing through the Sacramento County Public Health Lab later confirmed the bat had rabies. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 2 Nov. 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
  • Toney is one of the leaders on the team, so losing him before the biggest game of the regular season was a tough blow.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
  • While the announcement doesn’t guarantee that Eisenkot will be the next prime minister, Herzog’s decision is another blow to Netanyahu, who lost his parliamentary majority in the election.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 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
  • Unfortunately for us, those tenants have evolved a sticky knack for evading eviction, creating a webbing known as biofilm that prevents them from being easily licked or swallowed away.
    — Mike McRae, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
  • That’s not exactly chump change, considering Atlanta was still licking its wounds after the Great Depression.
    — Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • In addition, famed baker and author Amirah Kassem has come on board as a roaming sideline reporter, bringing viewers real-time reactions from the bakers, their families and the audience.
    — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The franchise began in 1997 as a relatively simple, top-down game that allowed players to roam fictional cities, steal vehicles, evade police and commit crimes.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 9 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
  • The 25-year-old former 19th-round draft pick hit 25 home runs and 29 home runs in 125 games between three levels.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Netanyahu denied that Israel was responsible for worsening conditions for Palestinians in Gaza's tent camps, which have been hit by severe winter flooding.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of hit

Phrases Containing bat

Browse Nearby Words

bastions
bat
bat (around)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bat. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bat

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of impertinent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All