cats

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

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
Noun
  • Summer is usually the busiest season for shelters, officials said, as more stray animals, owner surrenders and vulnerable kittens arrive across the five boroughs.
    Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026
  • Although the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter primarily cares for dogs, Wenz couldn’t leave behind a mother cat and her eight kittens, which were enduring the same sweltering temperatures.
    Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
Noun
  • As of this year, majority of NBA and WNBA team owners are white males with women listed explicitly as principal owners or co-owners for four WNBA teams, and six NBA teams.
    Allison Smith, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Research into how space radiation can affect the central nervous system, including differences associated with males and females, shows why the people studied and the questions asked matter when designing future missions.
    Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
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
Noun
  • That team is something that will always be special — a special group of guys who had the grit and truly knew how to grind it out no matter what the circumstances were.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • The Lacobs are just guys who like hearing themselves speak at conferences.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
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
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
Noun
  • Guys like Drake Baldwin, CJ Abrams, and Andy Pages are the younger dudes.
    David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
  • 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cats. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on cats

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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