rat (on)

Definition of rat (on)next
1
as in to split (on)
to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities how much—or how little—did the fuzz have to pay you to rat on us?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to desert
to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another many party operatives ratted on the senator's candidacy once her poll numbers started to slip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rat (on)
Verb
  • Lebanon’s economy began to collapse in 2019, causing salaries to plummet; many enlistees were forced to take second jobs, and others to desert altogether.
    Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
  • In the last decade, young audiences coveted by advertisers have deserted late night TV shows for streaming channels.
    Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • The person sometimes tries to talk to me about my good friend.
    R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 2 June 2026
  • In a loss, OpenAI could face pressure to implement remedies like age-gating free ChatGPT accounts to protect kids, shutting down conversations that discuss violence and suicide, and removing features that the state says deceptively make ChatGPT feel like talking to a human.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • The court also rejected the New Orleans City Council’s attempt to hold a special election, which would have given Duncan the option to run again.
    Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026
  • On Tuesday, however, the federation learned that the CAS panel had largely rejected its arguments but has annulled the first sanction’s partial-stadium closure.
    Matt Slater, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • Over its run the series saw the sudden departure of several notable creative collaborators, including photographer Petra Collins, whose aesthetic informed the first season, and Labrinth, whose music channeled the show’s emotional throughlines for two seasons.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
  • This article is meant to inform the general reader and is not a substitute for medical advice from a physician or nutritional advice from a dietitian and/or nutritionist.
    Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • Kuna fires out, abandoned home burns Smoke poured out of two fires in Kuna on Thursday, said James Trumble, the Kuna Rural Fire District’s assistant chief.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 29 May 2026
  • And then there’s the fact that in the season finale’s final minutes, set in 2020, the Soviet spaceship MAPC-94, abandoned in space after its engines failed decades ago, turns itself on.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • So the Devil orders the father to cut off his daughter’s offending hands.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
  • The strait’s closure continues to cut off 20% of the world’s oil supply from global markets, along with liquid natural gas and fertilizer needed for a functioning global economy.
    Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Rat (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rat%20%28on%29. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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