BATS Synonyms: 354 Similar and Opposite Words

bats 1 of 3

adjective

ˈbats

Definition of bats

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bats

2 of 3

noun

plural of bat

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

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as in canes

a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment riot policemen armed with bats and tear gas

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bats

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of bat

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

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as in licks

to strike repeatedly batted the piñata until it finally broke open

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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

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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 bats

Noun

That may not sound like a lot to you, sir, but, in a colony of one and a half million, that’s fifteen thousand bats. — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026 Visitors will learn about multiple species of bats that flap about our mountains. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 Targeting larger bats might not be the only factor in the trend towards smaller bats. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026 But research shows that if a vampire bat comes back to its colony hungry, other bats will step in and regurgitate blood to share—a costly but lifesaving sacrifice. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026 For example, a cynical fox character follows Hawke in the snow; little mice steal Sink’s Prada shoes; a snow lynx goes after Haoyu’s Prada bag while rabbits and bats play with Ford’s leather accessories. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026 The Brewers broke out the bats yesterday and left nothing to chance last night. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026 The last hitter to match that average through his first 14 World Series at-bats? — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026 In Milan, where violent protests occurred last weekend, security forces bolstered by hundreds of military troops conducted searches and confiscated baseball bats, fireworks and face masks from scores of protesters. — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026

Verb

Marsee — who bats and throws with his left hand — is undergoing a UCL reconstruction on his left elbow, as opposed to a full repair, and is expected to be ready for game action in six months. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 Over the summer, Rojas, who bats from the right side, impressed Mets staffers with his aptitude and ability to access power. — Will Sammon, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2026 Visitors can also follow a small leafy trail to Kelayang Cave, where hanging bats doze after a night of feasting. — Claire Turrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026 New York catcher Alyssa Zettlemoyer worked with Henley, as did Maggie Foxx, who bats fourth for the Los Angeles Queens. — Marisa Ingemi, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026 The 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior first baseman not only starts but also bats cleanup for the Wildcats, who have returned to the state semifinals. — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026 With the light nearly gone — the UMass Dartmouth field doesn’t have lights — Callahan silenced the Raiders bats one more time and this eventually led to the decision to pause the game. — Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026 Schmidt, who bats and throws left, led off the bottom of the seventh with a sharp single to right field. — Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 27 May 2026 Inés has been raised in a world of strange ellipses, and hardly bats an eye when the hotel bartender goes quiet after someone mentions his missing brother, but Hanna (Maia Rae Domagala) is a different story. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bats

Adjective

Unfortunately, his doctor interprets all the screaming about an alien presence in Thomas’ head as a garden-variety psychotic breakdown, and remands him to a more secure facility.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
It may also be used to treat certain other psychotic conditions, such as psychosis arising in Parkinson disease.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of psychotic

Noun

On October 24, 2006, Taylor Swift was released—the debut album by a 16-year-old with blonde curls, cowboy boots, and a special talent for turning heartbreak into hits.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026
Jackson Chourio and William Contreras each had two hits, including an RBI single.

— Steve Megaree, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of hits

Noun

Questions that have been proposed for removal deal with memory, fatigue, arthritis, difficulty walking and climbing stairs, as well as others about the use of hearing aids, canes, wheelchairs and scooters.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
This is because fruit development consumes much of the vine’s energy, so removing the fruit at this point allows the vine’s energy to continue to develop a strong cordon, canes (vertical shoots), and root system.

— The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026

Definition of canes

Verb

Anxiety knocks people off autopilot, sharpens attention and sends them looking for new information.

— Monique Mitchell Turner, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
The Newmark report also knocks the draft deal for saddling Miami-Dade with too many risks of cost overruns and other risks that a private company would typically shoulder in a venture like this one.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of knocks

Verb

That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.

— Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of licks

Verb

When the Farmer destroys the flock’s beloved pumpkin patch, Shaun turns mad scientist to fix the problem, only for events to spiral out of control as a wild beast roams the woods of Mossingham.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2026
Ripper Row — Jack the Ripper roams the streets in search of his next victim.

— Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of roams

Adjective

These three are just the latest in a mad rush for capital that has been putting a strain on the AI trade.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Both about power-mad blondes getting involved with the shadier side of the medical industrial complex, but Matt Hagen’s nanites worked, dammit!

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of mad

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bats. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of bats

adjective

noun

verb

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