cats

noun

plural of cat
1
as in kittens
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

Relevance
2
as in males
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 cats However, a third dog, Dakota, and two pet cats died in the fire. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 July 2026 Some of the most common toxic plants for dogs and cats in this category include pothos, peace lilies, philodendrons, ZZ plants, dumb cane, calla lilies, Chinese evergreen, elephant ear, Swiss cheese plant and flamingo plant. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026 Other plants toxic to dogs and cats growing in yards across the country include sago palms, foxgloves, bluebells, crocuses, yew, hydrangea and oleanders. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 This is because sandboxes can become infected with fecal microbes and parasites from wild and domesticated animals—including millions of free-roaming cats. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 13 July 2026 The only other living things on the island were large gulls, the size of cats. — Literary Hub, 13 July 2026 From dogs and cats to rabbits and lizards, pets who win the most votes have the chance to be featured in the 2027 San Diego Humane Society calendar. — Sydney Brammer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2026 Colleen McCarthy said she was denied coverage for one of her cats because the insurer determined her cat’s asthma was pre-existing. — Taneia Surles, USA Today, 7 July 2026 During our few extended trips each year, this former neighbor has checked in on our cats, taken in packages and harvested from our garden to enhance proper growth, etc. — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cats
  1. kittens
  2. males
  3. kitties
  4. guys
  5. felines
  6. gentlemen
  7. dudes
Noun
  • Now, the brood are in Woodbury, New Jersey, at KitKat Playroom, a nonprofit kitten rescue that livestreams foster kittens from arrival through adoption.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • Originating in kittens to stimulate milk flow, its persistence in adulthood is attributed to several factors.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of kittens
Noun
  • Who’s actually placing these bets The audience Kalshi is attracting is different from its typical trader base, which skews heavily toward males.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • Among males, cardiovascular risk was reduced by as much as 36%.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 July 2026
Definition of males
Noun
  • There are store cats everywhere that are hanging around, and the store kitties are very friendly.
    — Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • Owners looking to adopt one of these sweet kitties should be prepared to give them their attention, and lots of it.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Definition of kitties
Noun
  • Yes, even these guys are obviously mature for their ages, there’s a pretty significant difference just in terms of frame, body weight.
    — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
  • The Canadian gay hockey romance launched fujoshi fandom into the mainstream, proving audiences — and women, in particular — had a desire to watch two young guys roll around in some good old-fashioned smut.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Definition of guys
Noun
  • Catnip, the euphoria-inducing herb beloved by felines, was known to have insect repellent properties, though it had never been commercialized for that purpose.
    — Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 10 July 2026
  • Catnip Catnip is known for its ability to attract felines, but the same aromatic oils that cats love can actually repel mosquitoes.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 5 July 2026
Definition of felines
Noun
  • There’s a resident big band that sets the tempo for dancing—there are even gentlemen hosts available for ladies—and a DJ rocks the small disco late into the night.
    — Fran Golden, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
  • The ladies shimmered in champagne, gold and blush, while the gentlemen wisely remembered that the safest way to stand out at Miss Swift’s wedding was, in fact, not to.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of gentlemen
Noun
  • Bobby Wilson was a pastor’s son who grew up idolizing the kind of R&B dudes who could wail a praise song and then hit up Freaknik afterwards (think Jodeci and H-Town).
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 11 July 2026
  • Mariana is not pleased to hear this, and he's got some rough-looking dudes with him.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of dudes

Phrases Containing cats

Browse Nearby Words

cat rigs
cats
cats (around)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cats. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cats

Nglish: Translation of cats for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All