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
Miami Herald,
6 July 2026
Imanaga recovered a bit after the leadoff home run, but the Cardinals lineup coaxed long at-bats and drove up his pitch count, chasing the left-hander from the game after 4 2/3 innings.
—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
5 July 2026
Twins hitters have very little experience against Weathers, getting three hits in 10 at-bats.
—
David Troy Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2026
Josh Bell homered in consecutive at-bats and the Minnesota Twins hit six homers in a game for the first time in nearly three years to pull away for an 11-4 victory over the slumping New York Yankees on Saturday.
—
ABC News,
4 July 2026
The four-time MVP went hitless in his three at-bats as most of the Dodgers’ lineup went quiet against Padres starter Michael King.
—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
4 July 2026
Meanwhile, the Bombers’ bats tried to climb out of their hole with a few dingers of their own.
—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
4 July 2026
San Joaquin County is seeing a rise in rabid bats, but public health officials said not to worry.
—
Carmela Karcher,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
But instead of kicking up dust, breaking bats or throwing fits, the Feeneys coalesced in a green-and-yellow mass behind the dugout.
—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
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
That Ohtani guy bats leadoff for the Dodgers, after all.
—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
5 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
Jordan Woolery, who bats behind her at third in the lineup, has 107 RBIs and was the Big Ten Player of the Year.
—
ABC News,
10 May 2026
Altuve bats fifth For the first time in his career, Altuve started a regular-season game batting in the fifth spot in the lineup.
—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
30 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
After an afternoon of futile at-bats against Perez, the Athletics quickly rallied against Bachar.
—
Miami Herald,
6 July 2026
Imanaga recovered a bit after the leadoff home run, but the Cardinals lineup coaxed long at-bats and drove up his pitch count, chasing the left-hander from the game after 4 2/3 innings.
—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
5 July 2026
Twins hitters have very little experience against Weathers, getting three hits in 10 at-bats.
—
David Troy Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2026
Josh Bell homered in consecutive at-bats and the Minnesota Twins hit six homers in a game for the first time in nearly three years to pull away for an 11-4 victory over the slumping New York Yankees on Saturday.
—
ABC News,
4 July 2026
The four-time MVP went hitless in his three at-bats as most of the Dodgers’ lineup went quiet against Padres starter Michael King.
—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
4 July 2026
Meanwhile, the Bombers’ bats tried to climb out of their hole with a few dingers of their own.
—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
4 July 2026
San Joaquin County is seeing a rise in rabid bats, but public health officials said not to worry.
—
Carmela Karcher,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
But instead of kicking up dust, breaking bats or throwing fits, the Feeneys coalesced in a green-and-yellow mass behind the dugout.
—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Verb
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
That Ohtani guy bats leadoff for the Dodgers, after all.
—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
5 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
Jordan Woolery, who bats behind her at third in the lineup, has 107 RBIs and was the Big Ten Player of the Year.
—
ABC News,
10 May 2026
Altuve bats fifth For the first time in his career, Altuve started a regular-season game batting in the fifth spot in the lineup.
—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
30 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bats
Adjective
-
The defense argued that Bland had a psychotic episode due to a COVID infection.
-
The experience in question was a psychotic break that Murray endured in 2017 after spending several months involved with a wellness cult, coming to believe herself capable of powerful healing abilities.
Noun
-
Willson Contreras and Romy Gonzalez homered to back the superb pitching of Sonny Gray, who allowed one run and four hits in six innings of the Boston Red Sox’s 8-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
-
Willson Contreras and Romy Gonzalez homered to back the superb pitching of Sonny Gray, who gave up one run and four hits in six innings of the Boston Red Sox’s 8-1 win over the Angels on Saturday night at Angel Stadium.
Noun
-
Snappers, snakes, toy pistols with caps and toy canes with caps are the only fireworks allowed.
-
Then, the hydrangea grows new canes while the first round is blooming.
Verb
-
My parents tell stories about me sleeping through loud construction, alarms, and heavy knocks on my bedroom door.
-
Palestra instead knocks it past him with his right foot with great balance in a tight space.
Verb
-
Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.
-
At one point in a dinner scene, Shields' Erika licks Joey's fingers.
Verb
-
North Carolina will be under the microscope as long as Bill Belichick roams the sidelines in Chapel Hill.
-
Today, the herd roams the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and is managed in partnership with the local fire company, which hosts the annual pony swim—a beloved local tradition.
Adjective
-
Getting mad about missing out on signing Anfernee Simons won’t change that.
-
When World Cup season descends upon soccer-mad Brazil, green and yellow banners decorate restaurants, bars and apartment buildings, streets are painted with flags and soccer balls, and discussions of the beloved national team's games are ubiquitous.
Noun
-
Hers is a voice that ought to have a lifetime’s staying power, bolstered by a lyrical and musical sensibility that provide everything her instrument needs to deliver a happy succession of knockout blows.
-
Despite the blows to Eurovision’s finances and viewership from the boycott, the contest is eyeing expansion, with a spinoff Eurovision Song Contest Asia due to take place in Bangkok in November.
Cite this Entry
“Bats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bats. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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