rats 1 of 3

interjection

ˈrats How to pronounce rats (audio)
Definition of ratsnext
as in boo
used to express disgust rats, I can't believe anyone would say such a hateful thing

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rats

2 of 3

noun

plural of rat
1
as in informants
a person who provides information about another's wrongdoing the drug mule refused to turn rat without a guarantee of immunity

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2
as in lovers
someone who regularly spends time in a particular place on Friday night the mall rats were out in full force

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3
as in dogs
a person whose behavior is offensive to others no one can understand what she finds appealing in a rat like him

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rats

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of rat
as in leaks

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 rats
Noun
The real problem emerges when mice and rats turn your home into their permanent residence. — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 8 July 2026 The score drips with a sinister ostinato as the rats scurry into every corner of her castle. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026 Rhaenyra has returned home to the Red Keep and King’s Landing and she’s faced with memories of her father and her childhood while dealing with all the problems — the rats, the lack of funds — left by the Hightower regime. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 6 July 2026 Then again, perhaps rats are not the symbol Rhaenyra should be going for after the whole Blood & Cheese incident. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026 The two cats stayed at the house but also roamed outside to help with the rats. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026 The news comes 20 years after the island was declared free of invasive rats. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026 Raccoons, foxes, hawks, dogs and rats each require different defenses. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 30 June 2026 Someone says the rats are actually cute — what’s your honest response? — Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 19 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rats
  1. informants
  2. lovers
  3. dogs
  4. warns
  5. informers
  6. fans
  7. clowns
  8. informs
Noun
  • The Justice Department unveiled this case against it, essentially arguing that SPLC had been defrauding its donors by paying informants within far-right groups who were infiltrating those groups.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026
  • In 2020, for example, the high court ruled that Muslim men who claimed that their religious rights were violated for being placed on the government’s no-fly list after refusing to serve as FBI informants could sue the FBI agents for damages.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Definition of informants
Noun
  • Given how important human artistry and authenticity is to music lovers all over the world, these labels will provide an immediately understandable and easily scalable approach to transparency.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 July 2026
  • Topped with a pepperminty chocolate ganache and a crunchy layer of peppermint candy, these homemade brownies are perfect for mint lovers of all kinds.
    — Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 10 July 2026
Definition of lovers
Noun
  • Sit, who went by the first name Tony, operated Happy K9 Academy and the dogs were in his care when they were kept in crates in a hot van and died, the district attorney’s office said.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC news, 11 July 2026
  • When you’ve been tasked with crafting a home intended to welcome friends, host community gatherings, encourage kids’ indoor-outdoor adventures accompanied by dogs, bunnies, and a visiting pig, that’s the goal.
    — Genevieve Walker, Architectural Digest, 11 July 2026
Definition of dogs
Verb
  • If these prices become even steeper, the IMF warns, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa could experience serious food shortages.
    — Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026
  • Tolbert warns that food storage containers with lids should be cleaned regularly to prevent contamination from dust mites and other parasites, especially before refilling.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of warns
Noun
  • One of State Security’s main goals, as well as a central source of its strength, is turning civilians into informers.
    — Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
  • And so every regime invests in having student informers.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of informers
Noun
  • His stardom has only grown with each visit, winning him enamored fans around the world, and even a theme song.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • As the last Los Angeles FIFA World Cup event ended Friday, soccer fans were eating like locals and famous chains from the region were cashing in.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of fans
Noun
  • Perhaps most astonishingly, the movie manages to make creepy clowns — that shopworn trope — genuinely frightening again.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • Hang out with sheep, meet magicians and clowns and explore the amusement park.
    — Cole Premo, CBS News, 29 June 2026
Definition of clowns
Verb
  • Trump views it in zero-sum terms, as a thing the strong seize from the weak—a view that informs his constant desire to steal natural resources from smaller countries.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • This was my strategy throughout the book and informs my citational practices as well.
    — Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 July 2026
Definition of informs

Browse Nearby Words

rat (on)
rats
rat snake
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Cite this Entry

“Rats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rats. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of rats for Spanish Speakers

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