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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in lovers
someone who regularly spends time in a particular place
on Friday night the mall rats were out in full force
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rats
James D. Walsh, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026
Tests on rats and sheep show injuries consistent with those seen in humans.
—Scott Pelley, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Following the animal’s death and diagnosis, 64 rats that were killed through extermination or found dead on the San Diego Zoo property were examined, and two adult rats were found to be infected with lungworms and associated pneumonia.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Because the diagnosis was so unusual, zoo staff examined the bodies of 64 free-ranging roof rats that had either been euthanized in the course of regular pest control or found dead on the property.
—Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Both old friends had fond memories of rats.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
The surveyors initially thought the sound was rats.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
Take a good look at your property and get rid of or minimize areas where rats might want to inhabit.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
The show quickly became a phenomenon, and along with watching castaways eat (and call each other) rats, viewers took note of Probst.
—Paige Cornwell, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
Noun
Luxury real estate, especially the highest of the high end where Oren and Tal worked, is a very small world, a kind of glamorous rats’ nest.
—James D. Walsh, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026
Tests on rats and sheep show injuries consistent with those seen in humans.
—Scott Pelley, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Following the animal’s death and diagnosis, 64 rats that were killed through extermination or found dead on the San Diego Zoo property were examined, and two adult rats were found to be infected with lungworms and associated pneumonia.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Because the diagnosis was so unusual, zoo staff examined the bodies of 64 free-ranging roof rats that had either been euthanized in the course of regular pest control or found dead on the property.
—Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Both old friends had fond memories of rats.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
The surveyors initially thought the sound was rats.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
Take a good look at your property and get rid of or minimize areas where rats might want to inhabit.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
The show quickly became a phenomenon, and along with watching castaways eat (and call each other) rats, viewers took note of Probst.
—Paige Cornwell, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rats
Noun
-
Women were central — as planners, fighters, informants, protectors, logisticians, and spiritual anchors.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
-
These were the kinds of obstacles and mismatches Hite’s informants wrote about.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For the extreme chocolate lovers in your life, this cookie is their dream.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Many animal lovers have pet dogs or cats.—
Bailey Allen,
Cape Cod Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And also, dogs would be used to flush out deer hiding in bushes or in steep terrain, to expose them to waiting sharpshooters.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Coyotes will attack small dogs, though attacks on medium and large dogs are uncommon, says Kohl.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And so every regime invests in having student informers.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Security services also rely on informers to tell them who might be using Starlink, and search internet and social media traffic for signs it has been used.—
David Rising,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The fans, rightfully so, should always overreact.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The company estimates there are at least a million tennis fans who would pony up for its app and millions more casual fans who might watch for free or listen to a podcast.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The proverbial canaries in coal mines will then cause a recession.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
1 Mar. 2026
-
By crunching data from millions of monthly payroll records for workers in jobs with exposure to generative AI, the authors concluded that workers ages 22 to 25—the canaries—have seen about a 13 percent decline in employment since late 2022.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Since the Whitney Biennial was founded in 1932, art-world denizens and casual observers alike have relished the opportunity both to champion and excoriate the slates of artists put forward.—
Julie Belcove,
Robb Report,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Lung created The Monsters universe and its dozen of denizens in 2015.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
How did clowns become a protest symbol?—
Janet W. Lee,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
-
And, yeah, it’s run by unworthy—the clowns are the best one.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rats. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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