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

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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 When the cats were in the mood for physical contact, the researchers found that 41 percent of the time cats groomed another cat. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 20 July 2026 The only thing that seems to be going well is the abundance of cats. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 Nestlé also says newer nutritional products can extend healthy lifespan in cats by more than a year. — Elsa Ohlen,carolin Roth, CNBC, 18 July 2026 According to local legend, and later documented by Atlas Obscura, a rat infestation in the 1980s is what first brought the cats to Parque Kennedy. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2026 On top of the new pup, Swift is the proud owner of three cats. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 17 July 2026 Alaei and her colleagues exposed superworms to dead animals of all sizes, ranging from mice, fish and small birds to wolves and wild cats. — Ari Daniel, NPR, 17 July 2026 But rather than a vacation destination, a former equestrian center nestled on 20 acres off Route 176 in Hawthorn Woods is planned as a sanctuary for homeless dogs and cats awaiting a better life with new families. — Mick Zawislak, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026 However, a third dog, Dakota, and two pet cats died in the fire. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cats
  1. kittens
  2. males
  3. kitties
  4. guys
  5. felines
  6. gentlemen
  7. dudes
Noun
  • Puppies, kittens, senior pets, and brachycephalic breeds are at higher risk.
    — Jen Reeder, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • While on Instagram, notice that there are kittens up for adoption.
    — Ginny Hogan, New Yorker, 21 July 2026
Definition of kittens
Noun
  • This is consistent with the idea that solitary (and aggressively hormonal) males were more likely to die in natural traps, such as landslides or sinkholes, increasing the chance that their bones would be preserved over thousands of years.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 July 2026
  • All these races are restricted to three-year-olds and mostly males run in them.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 29 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
  • Those guys had first- and second-round talent, at least as determined by the 32 teams.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
  • But Ben, Anton and I, not knowing what couldn’t be done, decided that three guys in their mid-twenties with no engineering background to speak of would be the ones to get this thing off the ground.
    — Ronnen Harary, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Definition of guys
Noun
  • On the flip side, grooming can also be used to send a stern message, the study found, particularly in the felines’ display of asymmetrical body postures such as one cat leaning over the other one.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 20 July 2026
  • These members of the order of Carnivora, which includes bears, wolves, felines, seals, and many other mammals that specialize in eating flesh, have found a way to reorganize themselves to take full advantage of all that city life has to offer.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 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
  • Watching shoot-first combo guards go off for 30 in a summer-league game is great fun, but most of those dudes don’t get to play with a neon-green light in a game that matters.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • There’s a lot of dudes out here that would sell their soul for an uncomplicated yet complicated jam just like that.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 22 July 2026
Definition of dudes

Phrases Containing cats

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cat rigs
cats
cats (around)
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Cite this Entry

“Cats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cats. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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