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
Yosemite records few rabid bats, with the last case in 2025, but other national parks have issued rabies alerts within days or weeks, raising fresh questions about Yosemite’s public-health communication. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Natural history Diet and behavior Rodents, small rabbits, birds, frogs, lizards, and bats form the primary prey of this species. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
Toward that end, Harris is in left field and batting ninth for his Padres debut on Monday. — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Tristan Peters had been in the situation before, up to bat with a chance to win a game for the Chicago White Sox. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 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
  • The decline of the wholesale channel overall has been a blow to the industry’s morale and its balance sheets and forced many brands to put a greater emphasis on direct-to-consumer sales.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Strength among women helped Friday’s overall nonfarm payrolls figure blow past expectations for August.
    — Alex Harring,Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Brazil’s ethanol pivot and India’s sugar imports Higher energy prices are also making ethanol more attractive relative to sugar in Brazil, where mills can shift cane between the two products.
    — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Police said Strode walks with a cane, usually wears sunglasses and carries a medical alert necklace.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of cane
Verb
  • If such an attack succeeds, Gulf Arab states’ need to save their huge oil infrastructure investments could knock them out of their informal American coalition or force Washington to accept Iranian terms on reopening the strait.
    — JAMES F. JEFFREY, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
  • With clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, London City Lionesses and Brighton, albeit the latter has just appointed a new head coach, knocking at the door, this could be United’s toughest season yet.
    — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of knock
Verb
  • There was the physician who analyzed the growth rate of his fingernails for 35 years and the geologist who looked into why his colleagues lick rocks.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
  • An ancient Nazi scientist (Dan Stevens) crawling across a carpet to lick a woman’s stilettoed foot.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • One aspect of Eloise’s personality that her parents and brother treasure the most is her connection with animals, from family pets to the deer and horses roaming on the ranch.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • For nearly a hundred years, mule deer have roamed across the scenic but fragile ecosystem of Catalina Island in Southern California, ultimately becoming an ecological fixture and tourist attraction for folks who visit from the mainland.
    — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of roam
Noun
  • If those ground tests show the jet’s acoustic thump is soft enough for suburban skies, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several US communities to gather public feedback.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Their pitching is good, Griffin Jax could return soon, and Liam Hicks has added some thump to a lineup previously built around three really good hitters (Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda) and a bunch of do-your-job role players.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of thump
Noun
  • The Unbadged invited people to submit videos of personnel who used batons and tear gas against protestors without wearing a name badge, which police are legally required to wear.
    — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Police found a collapsible baton inside the bag, but have not recovered any political leaflets that would suggest an act of protest.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of baton
Verb
  • If the Sabres can find some more success with the man advantage, Thompson shouldn’t have much trouble hitting the 40-goal mark again.
    — Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Japan's 10-year government bond yield recently breached 3%, hitting a high not seen in roughly 30 years.
    — , CNBC, 9 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bat

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