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
Relevance
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
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But classrooms sat half-empty and the playground was deserted.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026 -
As befits such an environment, his handling of tactile stuff—not just silk and fur but bread and brickwork, too—never deserted him.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Reis talked her way onto a crew member’s unofficial salvage expedition.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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His content is best known for his spontaneous interactions, such as stopping to talk with strangers on the roadside or offering impromptu taxi services.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to a California audit last month which analyzed open network traffic across more than 7,600 popular websites scanned from California, over half (55%) of sites set advertising cookies even after users explicitly rejected them.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
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His dwarfism led his mother to reject him, a natural response when something seems wrong.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Williams said that the new results can help inform the experimental design for these future missions.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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The fans who experience it smoothly will be the ones who planned early, stayed informed and adapted their expectations to the realities of hosting an event of this scale.—
Taylor Haught,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The three-block stretch, between 16th and 19th avenues, looks markedly different from just a year ago, when tents, abandoned cars and piles of trash crowded the street and sidewalks.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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What to read next The USSR withdraws troops from the border with Afghanistan, as Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev abandons invasion plans to focus his resources on the Space Race.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Global supply chains have been impacted by the war since the end of February and the chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off some of the materials used in condom production.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
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The closed Strait of Hormuz, as well as export bans of refined fuel products from countries like China and South Korea, have cut off petrol supplies in Asia.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
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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 22 Apr. 2026.
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