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
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
With the Blue Jays using a bullpen game Thursday night, the Yankees are looking to keep their bats going strong against a tired group of relievers.
—Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Max Muncy and Tommy Edman also took live at-bats during Monday’s workout.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
The decision to remove the starter came down to Bieber’s struggle to miss bats and increasing pitch count in his final frame, Schneider said.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
With the Blue Jays using a bullpen game Thursday night, the Yankees are looking to keep their bats going strong against a tired group of relievers.
—Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Max Muncy and Tommy Edman also took live at-bats during Monday’s workout.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
-
While docked in Florida, the troupe encounters trouble in the form of psychotic Twisty the Clown (John Carroll Lynch), a deranged murderer with a taste for sideshow carnage.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Together, O’Neill and Alicia navigate a rabbit hole of deranged folk singers, psychotic cops, boxing promoters, line dancing enthusiasts, and worst of all, podcasters, the truth blurs, bodies stack, and the nature of their search comes into question.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Dallas rap superstar BigXThaPlug returned to Nashville for a night defined by the crossover appeal of three years of country, rap hits.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Wenceel Pérez becomes an unlikely October redemption story Wenceel Pérez entered this game with only five hits in his past 56 at-bats.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Cover the pot and the bottom few inches of the rose canes with soil, then add a layer of mulch for insulation.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Multiple video cameras captured the dynamic choreo on giant screens behind the stage as McRae and her entourage danced with canes, strutted down a catwalk, seductively gyrated on moving platforms, and even pole-danced.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Bubba purposefully knocks a girl down with a dodgeball, and when Mary tells him to stop being mean, Bubba punches her.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
First, any major event such as a the emergence of DeepSeek that knocks the AI thesis could have a sizeable impact on the stock market.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
-
When asked the question, the owl takes the lollipop and licks it three times before chomping down on its hard shell exterior and handing the stick back to the child.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Michael Myers roams the streets of Haddonfield in Halloween, stabbing people to death inside their own houses.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Their nearest relative, the gray wolf, still roams forests and tundras.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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My real friends know what happened, but Kurt’s fans, Courtney’s fans, and some of my own fans were mad at me.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Maybe, probably, the States were also mad at her.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Hockey players aren’t known for being shy about fighting over different plays on the ice, but Wayne Gretzky and his current compatriots have learned not to come to blows.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Rancorous debate in the GOTW meeting room as the panel nearly came to blows, with Broncos-Eagles supporters threatening a walkout as Bucs-Seahawks advocates were kicking over chairs.—
Greg Cote
October 2,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bats. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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