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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 bastards
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

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
New research has also shown that reducing another signaling chemical, norepinephrine, in certain brain regions can decrease rats’ ability to learn from situations where expected rewards are less available. — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 People who live along the interstate in Ferndale say the road work has caused rats to flood into their neighborhoods. — Julia Avant, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 The Republican billionaire accused of fueling an infestation of rats in Chicago. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 These traps kill rats, but also gather information about movements and population sizes, according to the health district. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 16 Oct. 2026 Someone tells you that the rats are actually cute, what’s your honest response? — Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2026 Some students have described buildings in disrepair and reported seeing rats inside. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Seabird colonies have declined because of habitat loss and invasive species like rats. — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026 Also, invasive rats and cats continue to prey on vulnerable tortoise eggs and hatchlings. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rats
  1. boo
  2. informants
  3. lovers
  4. dogs
  5. warns
  6. informers
  7. fans
  8. jerks
Interjection
  • Williams also recalled witnessing the Super Bowl crowd boo Taylor Swift when she was shown on the jumbotron cheering on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce.
    — Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Highlights include a costume parade (for kids and parents), a Purim story and boo Haman and songs.
    — Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Definition of boo
Noun
  • Overton, however, claimed that both informants were lying — and that the semen found on the comforter was planted on the scene by a spurned ex-lover with connections to the police department.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Cseh, the archive's director, said successor governments to dictatorships rarely disclose the names of previous agents and informants, let alone records as detailed as those Hungary is preparing to release.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of informants
Noun
  • Nature lovers, artists (Ansel Adams found a muse in the Snake River), and outdoor adventurers know the gateway to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks is more than just a winter sports destination.
    — Lindsay Cohn, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The professionalization worked, but at the expense of the site’s internal culture, Cooke argues, as generous eccentrics were displaced by neurotic lovers of rules.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of lovers
Noun
  • Staff often greet regulars – and their dogs – by name with a warm question about their day.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Cadaver dogs also alerted to the scent of a corpse in the vehicle.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of dogs
Verb
  • The bank still calls Nvidia the sector’s best risk-reward opportunity but warns that financing pressures, power shortages, and concentrated customers could threaten the buildout.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • While agreeing that batteries play a key role in cutting emissions from transport and power generation, the study warns that emissions from producing them could rise sharply if manufacturing expands without cleaner processes.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 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
  • Playing a real game in Spectrum Center for the first time since trading away LaMelo Ball over the summer, this was Charlotte’s first chance since that controversial deal to show the home fans that the deal was a good one.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Of course, many fans already pay for cable or other services, lowering the additional cost come hoops season.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fans
Noun
  • Lee and his Burning co-writer Oh Jung-mi resist what might have been the first instinct of many filmmakers by refusing to make Ye-ji and Sang-woo overly patronizing rich jerks.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The Ars OpenForum is a place for readers to ask questions, compare notes, argue (without being jerks to each other), and go down all sorts of rabbit holes.
    — Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of jerks

Browse Nearby Words

rat (on)
rats
rat snake
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rats. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of disparate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All