cat

noun

ˈkat How to pronounce cat (audio)
Definition of catnext
1
as in kitten
a small domestic animal known for catching mice the family's cat did an exemplary job of keeping the house and yard free of all rodents

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in male
an adult male human being he was one cool cat driving around in his new sports car

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 cat The person lived in Arizona and was probably infected while working with sick cats. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 But like a bell on a cat, that can betray you at the most inopportune times. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 William’s father was bringing his son and cats from Thousand Oaks. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 8 Oct. 2026 Cats in the Midwest also had higher rates of infection compared with cats in other parts of the United States, which researchers believe may be due to differences in environment and reporting. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cat
  1. kitten
  2. male
  3. kitty
  4. guy
  5. feline
  6. gentleman
  7. dude
Noun
  • Recently, in the Simi Hills north of the crossing, his team marked three kittens, the first litter for the 3 ½-year-old lion known as P-113.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers found that kittens were more likely to test positive than older cats, and male cats were more likely to be infected than female cats.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of kitten
Noun
  • Any place that’s all male, no girls allowed, just doesn’t function without depravity.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Keierleber is described as a 6-foot white male, approximately 240 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
    — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of male
Noun
  • At CatCon, attendees will get to meet kitty celebrities such as Uno, the one-eared cat with 360,000 subscribers on YouTube, or the Sphynx with over 44,000 thousand followers on Instagram, lily_rose_adventures.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Because FeLV can be contagious to other cats, Bruce will need to be the only kitty in his new home.
    — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of kitty
Noun
  • The only way to make the bad guys sweat is to hand them a subpoena — or, at the least, to depict them unflatteringly on television.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • My first boyfriend left me high and dry just before it, and another guy took me.
    — Jeremy Rellosa, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of guy
Noun
  • Tons of toys are on sale too, from popular fish toys your feline will love tossing around to the classic cat scratcher that can help prevent them from sinking their claws into the couch.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • At Adoptions for Love, a cat rescue currently sheltering 80 felines in the more upscale neighborhood of Playa, the number of people looking to adopt has plunged.
    — Orlando Matos, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of feline
Noun
  • Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the decidedly forgettable experience of falling for a phishing scam—or in this case, the simulation of one.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The Lady Greyhounds are there as well, and Niamh Harrigan (Aisling Sharkey) challenges her teammates to split the G, which an older gentleman points out is a tradition that actually started in Britain, not Ireland.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of gentleman
Noun
  • These two dudes hit me in the head and pointed a gun at me with a knife and then took off.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The rumba is much slower and more controlled than Ezra’s had to do before, which is a challenge at first, but my dude clearly gets the hang of it by showtime.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of dude

Phrases Containing cat

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casuistic
cat
cat's cradle
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Cite this Entry

“Cat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cat. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cat

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