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
  • Notice that response before talking yourself into the option everyone expects.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
  • In his analysis of the incident, Prescott said the two officers waited down the hallway while the social workers first attempted to talk to Everard Walker.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 10 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Aden's airport was deserted after the Houthi warning, airport employee Salem Al-Awlaqi told The Associated Press.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Propped up by strong finishing, Tottenham were on 11 points at this stage a year ago, but soon reverted to their relegation-battling baseline once that ruthlessness deserted them.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The statutory maximum is life in prison, Lett informed Désir, should he be found guilty.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Several years later, he was informed that his brain contained a moderate accumulation of amyloid plaques.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • California voters have twice rejected ballot measures to abolish the death penalty, first in 2012 and again in 2016, and Newsom’s decision overrides the will of the courts and state laws that permit capital punishment.
    — Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Voters, in 2024, narrowly rejected a half-cent local sales tax measure that was estimated to generate about $19 million annually.
    — Victoria Le, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Surveillance video captured 14 kittens being abandoned and tossed into floodwaters in the parking lot of the Humane Society of Greater Miami, according to shelter leadership.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Even as the war has temporarily calmed down, United hasn’t entirely abandoned its hard-line objectives.
    — Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Police in South Africa have arrested five suspects in connection with a violent farm robbery in the North West province in which a 50-year-old farmer was shot and had his ears cut off.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The village of Chama in New Mexico was evacuated and cut off by road closures.
    — Christopher Weber, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 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 12 Nov. 2026.

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