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
Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
Nimmo saw valuable at-bats regardless.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Tony Gleason, Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
In a scramble in front, Swayman made the initial stop but the puck popped in the air and Hartman batted it home.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bat
Noun
Histoplasma capsulatum – Common in soils enriched with bird or bat droppings.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
Nimmo saw valuable at-bats regardless.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
Infielder Juliette Merrilees batted next and delivered a safety squeeze down the first base line to tie the game 4-4.
—Tony Gleason, Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
In a scramble in front, Swayman made the initial stop but the puck popped in the air and Hartman batted it home.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bat
Noun
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Virginia made one last push, cutting TCU’s lead to 65-55, but the Horned Frogs quickly delivered the knockout blow as Miles knocked down a 3 and Suarez hit sophomore center Clara Silva for a layup to end Virginia’s hopes of another upset.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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The Israeli military later said raw materials are processed for enrichment at the Yazd plant and the strike was a major blow to Iran’s nuclear program.—
Farnoush Amiri,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The state regulates 132 dams across Hawaii, most of them built as part of irrigation systems for the sugar cane industry, according to a 2019 infrastructure report by the American Society of Civil Engineers.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Alberto Rodríguez, 73, limped with a cane down a deserted industrial street.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Remember, as little as 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
About 2 minutes and 40 seconds into the fight, Grasso drilled Barber in the head with a left hook, knocking her out.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The department shared photos of Ziggy, still wearing a bandage on his left hind leg, jumping up and licking Spring's face during a recent visit.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Seals off The San Diego Seals (6-8) are off this weekend and licking their wounds following a crushing 9-8 home loss to Buffalo on Saturday.—
Ivan Carter,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The employees of Rockin’ Grandma’s roam the grounds of the retreat site, which boasts multiple structures, and are visited by a series of guest speakers whose lectures range from the merely dull to the truly Dada.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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It's estimated 60 million bison once roamed North America, but they were nearly driven to extinction in the 1800s, and by 1889, there were only a few hundred wild bison remained.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The experimental jet, part of NASA’s Quesst mission, is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound while producing only a soft sonic thump instead of a disruptive boom.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
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At its best, the music’s blackout-drunk thump-thump functions more like an anxious heartbeat.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Good morning, Alexei Oreskovic here, taking the baton back from features editor Matt Heimer, who graciously filled in for me these last couple of days.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
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San Diego Symphony musicians will perform the opera’s score under the baton of conductor Louis Lohraseb, who is making his company debut.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Crow-Armstrong had support from his team during Friday’s news conference, where first baseman Michael Busch, manager Craig Counsell, hitting coach Dustin Kelly, assistant hitting coach John Mallee and staff assistant AJ Lewis took in the scene.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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Alcantara left the mound with a lead, courtesy of the bottom of Miami’s lineup stringing together hits in the second.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bat. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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