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

Rabies is spread through bites and scratches from infected animals — most often bats, foxes, raccoons and skunks — and is almost always fatal once symptoms begin, though a four-to-five-shot vaccine given after exposure is nearly 100% effective. — The Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026 Pete Crow-Armstrong had one of his worst offensive games of the year, finishing 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and had nine total runners on base for those at-bats. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026 Freeman, who went hitless in four at-bats Friday, striking out twice, has just six hits — and 13 strikeouts — in his last 48 at-bats. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026 Christian Walker had two hits after entering the game hitless in his previous 23 at-bats. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 Mayflies hovering around our heads were bound to attract bats, and bats creep me out. — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026 Bassitt stymied Boston’s bats early before Story started the sixth-inning rally with a single. — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Researchers at the University of Vermont, as part of an international team, have found how bats avoid disease and live long lives. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026 Natural history Diet and behavior Rodents, small rabbits, birds, frogs, lizards, and bats form the primary prey of this species. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026

Verb

Duran started the year hitting third and now bats seventh or eighth, and his hold on everyday playing time might have been saved by Masataka Yoshida’s injury — at least until Roman Anthony’s return. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 18 Aug. 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bats

Adjective

Devlin said eight jurors including herself began deliberation believing that Clancy, 36, was experiencing a psychotic episode when her children were killed in suburban Boston.

— Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Her defense, however, argued that Clancy killed her children after suffering a postpartum psychotic break.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of psychotic

Noun

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
Choose 3-6 strong, healthy, outside canes per plant to keep and leave 3-5 buds on each cane.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of canes

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

Noun

Like his wife, Andrew was also attacked with a hatchet, receiving as many as 11 blows to his face, leaving him nearly unrecognizable, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

— Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Abby was struck 19 times by a hatchet-like object, with several blows crushing through her skull.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of blows

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Style

“Bats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bats. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bats

adjective

noun

verb

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