as in psychotic
unable to think in a clear or sensible way
by film's end it's obvious that faded movie star Norma Desmond is completely bats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hits
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
2
as in canes
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 knocks
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 licks
to strike repeatedly
batted the piñata until it finally broke open
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in roams
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 bats
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
Counsell thought Suzuki’s at-bats looked good from the onset of Tuesday’s game and felt the swings in his first at-bat were a great sign.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
The quality of the at-bats to set that up, against a guy like that, that was remarkable.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
And Lopez isn’t sacrificing quality at-bats for more power.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Shohei Ohtani went hitless with a pair of strikeouts over his initial three at-bats before a seventh-inning single that extended his career-best on-base streak to 53 games, tied for second place on the Dodgers' franchise list with Shawn Green.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the first when Nolan Schanuel doubled and Soler, who had one hit and 13 strikeouts in 23 career at-bats against Cease, roped an RBI single to left field.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
My glove, bats — everything went to (another park).
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Dave Kingman of the Oakland A’s hit three home runs, including a grand slam, in his first three at-bats.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
White, who bats ninth, has saved some of her best games for the toughest opponents.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Right fielder Kyle Tucker usually bats behind leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Obviously, there are ambitions for Broadway and the West End, but Tiffany bats such thoughts aside.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
The food chain is in full and pitiless effect, and no one bats an eye, or side-eyes a bat, when natural predatory impulses kick in.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Taylor bats leadoff for the presumptive Best Picture favorite.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
If Roberts bats Tucker second and Smith fifth, Freeman would likely take over as the cleanup hitter.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Malice bats third to effortlessly deliver some of his best lyrical work from Let God Sort Em Out.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Nov. 2025
Noun
But the Padres hitters, who did have some long but fruitless at-bats, also missed on some pitches.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
Counsell thought Suzuki’s at-bats looked good from the onset of Tuesday’s game and felt the swings in his first at-bat were a great sign.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
The quality of the at-bats to set that up, against a guy like that, that was remarkable.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
And Lopez isn’t sacrificing quality at-bats for more power.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Shohei Ohtani went hitless with a pair of strikeouts over his initial three at-bats before a seventh-inning single that extended his career-best on-base streak to 53 games, tied for second place on the Dodgers' franchise list with Shawn Green.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the first when Nolan Schanuel doubled and Soler, who had one hit and 13 strikeouts in 23 career at-bats against Cease, roped an RBI single to left field.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
My glove, bats — everything went to (another park).
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Dave Kingman of the Oakland A’s hit three home runs, including a grand slam, in his first three at-bats.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
Peralta then was replaced by left-hander Brooks Raley, and Kelly was sent up to hit for Moisés Ballesteros, a rookie who bats from the left side.
—CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
White, who bats ninth, has saved some of her best games for the toughest opponents.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Right fielder Kyle Tucker usually bats behind leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Obviously, there are ambitions for Broadway and the West End, but Tiffany bats such thoughts aside.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
The food chain is in full and pitiless effect, and no one bats an eye, or side-eyes a bat, when natural predatory impulses kick in.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Taylor bats leadoff for the presumptive Best Picture favorite.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
If Roberts bats Tucker second and Smith fifth, Freeman would likely take over as the cleanup hitter.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Malice bats third to effortlessly deliver some of his best lyrical work from Let God Sort Em Out.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bats
Adjective
-
Philip Seymour Hoffman played him on Broadway as a near-psychotic, his philandering very much to blame for the fall of his elder son, Biff.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Less commonly, some people experience psychotic symptoms, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, paranoia, confusion or emotional distress.—
Hollis Karoly,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Imanaga tossed seven innings for the first time this season, limiting the Phillies to just three hits, including the home run, while walking one and striking out one batter.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Thematic ambition, a sense of the something to be expressed beyond a central romance, rivalry, or farce, propels modern musical hits too, as in Hairspray, or Wicked, or (no duh) Hamilton.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This will help the remaining canes and new stems have the room to grow more easily.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Repeating this cycle helps replace older canes with new, stronger growth.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The female actually knocks him down to the ground.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Unfortunately, Lace delivers a kick that knocks Jinx on his back, inflaming an old injury.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
-
After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose.—
Megan Sauer
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The five-person cast roams the room, sitting at various circular tables to blur the lines between script and improvisation.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
-
So this fox crossed an ocean to arrive in a borough where its own species already roams free.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With the greatest opening day crowd in the history of Atlanta and the Southern league cheering in a mad, thunderous crescendo, the Atlanta Crackers reached something approaching an apogee of playing perfection yesterday to turn back the Knoxville Smokies, 9 to 0.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The president of the United States is stark-raving mad.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The event felt like a throwback to the glitzy, lavish Hollywood premieres that used to take over the town every weekend, but have become scarce since the film business suffered a series of blows that have led to lots of belt-tightening.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The Senate’s quick passage of the 10-day patch was starkly different than the House’s rare overnight session, during which House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was dealt two consecutive blows.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bats. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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