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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bats
Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Next up, Leggett filled the baskets with organic snacks and dye-free sweets, including Yum Earth lollipops and Annie’s gummy bats.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
The Royals sent him to the AFL to get more at-bats after missing time with a hamate bone fracture in his right hand.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Inspired by how humans cup their ears or bats adjust ear shapes, the team is developing systems that better capture and emit low-power sound for navigation.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2025
County plans acknowledged potential harm to pallid bats native to the area and called for installing bat boxes to offer them an alternative habitat.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
That streak continues here, but the real delight of this ostensible side project is Allison Crutchfield’s return to the mic after an extended absence, and the rebirth of a sibling rock band, apparently sans fistfights or cricket bats.
—Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Vampire Nuggets – Crispy chicken nuggets shaped like vampire fangs and bats served in a carton designed as a coffin.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 31 Oct. 2025
His first four at-bats culminated in two doubles and two home runs.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 31 Oct. 2025
However, this one bats a pretty impressive average, and the triptych structure keeps things moving at a nice clip.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer emphasized that the Pirates' toughest free agency decision will be figuring out which bats the team can acquire to back Skenes.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Oct. 2025
And yet when an athlete expresses that same sentiment, nobody bats an eyelash.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
Even with a down season in 2025, Sanchez's power is still evident with the seven extra-base hits in the 101 at-bats.
—Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Next up, Leggett filled the baskets with organic snacks and dye-free sweets, including Yum Earth lollipops and Annie’s gummy bats.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
The Royals sent him to the AFL to get more at-bats after missing time with a hamate bone fracture in his right hand.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Inspired by how humans cup their ears or bats adjust ear shapes, the team is developing systems that better capture and emit low-power sound for navigation.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2025
County plans acknowledged potential harm to pallid bats native to the area and called for installing bat boxes to offer them an alternative habitat.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
That streak continues here, but the real delight of this ostensible side project is Allison Crutchfield’s return to the mic after an extended absence, and the rebirth of a sibling rock band, apparently sans fistfights or cricket bats.
—Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Vampire Nuggets – Crispy chicken nuggets shaped like vampire fangs and bats served in a carton designed as a coffin.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 31 Oct. 2025
His first four at-bats culminated in two doubles and two home runs.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
Mookie Betts, who bats directly behind Ohtani, is just 3-for-23 in this Fall Classic.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 31 Oct. 2025
However, this one bats a pretty impressive average, and the triptych structure keeps things moving at a nice clip.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer emphasized that the Pirates' toughest free agency decision will be figuring out which bats the team can acquire to back Skenes.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Oct. 2025
And yet when an athlete expresses that same sentiment, nobody bats an eyelash.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bats
Adjective
-
Whitford hopes his team’s EEG test could eventually be used to assess someone’s risk of developing psychotic symptoms and hallucinations.—
Hannah Seo,
Scientific American,
10 Nov. 2025
-
So Psykotic was supposed to be psychotic, obviously.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
From there, his sound became one of the most sought-after in the industry, shaping hits that blurred the lines between grit and groove.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Manow does a bump of K on the table to relax while Clateman shows me a high-tech nicotine vape that displays music videos and also rates the intensity of your hits with a numerical score.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
To help your plants establish, make sure to get potted raspberries in the ground at least 4 to 6 weeks before frost is expected, or choose bare root canes, which are dormant and can be planted even later in the season, as long as the ground isn't frozen.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Nov. 2025
-
Avoid long or sharp swords, sticks or canes to prevent injury if a child trips and falls.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
However, when a wealthy telecommunications CEO knocks on their door and reveals his plans to regain the public’s trust in supers, the Parrs are all in.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Latin social dance is a place where people leave their worries at the door, but in Chicago, fear over immigration crackdowns knocks anyway.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The first is Christopher Walken as Gabriel, a mean-spirited angel who sniffs and licks crime scenes and inspects children’s teeth for reasons that sort of make sense within the movie.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Posted to the account @maisythemarshmallow on September 19, the video shows the dog, named Maisy, lying calmly as the cat snuggles up and licks her face.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This early landmark of Swedish cinema was one of Ingmar Bergman’s favorite movies, and the influence is obvious in eerie scenes where a ghostly driver dressed like the Grim Reaper roams the countryside searching for souls.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Some locals believe founder Charles Pfister still roams the property, according to reports, and even celebrities like rapper Megan Thee Stallion have gone ghost hunting there.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There's a reasonable chance that your Dem Senator who voted against it and is acting mad now was in on the play.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Elizabeth is the budding mad doctor’s fiancee, who’s dismembered under the blades of a rogue lawnmower in the opening scene of the film.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The groundbreaking research penetrated the last moments of the young nobleman, who suffered a terrible 26 blows.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Despite major strides in the right direction, the push for a greener future has been dealt several devastating blows from a fraught supply chain, economic headwinds and political setbacks.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bats. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share