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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rats
Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Cats are common sightings around feed stores and garden centers, which contain large amounts of grain and seed that can be attractive to mice and rats.
—John Raby, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
To date, these rats have collectively detected around 160,000 landmines.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 8 Oct. 2025
Anyone in Ukraine can hear (or read) the Russian state media that portray Ukrainians as rats, hyenas, and filth, and that has had an effect.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
Other live cameras monitoring elephants, lions and naked mole-rats also remain active during the shutdown.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
An alligator's diet can include chicken liver, rats and animal parts, including bones and cartilage.
—Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Invasive rats and native squirrels have prints that often look pretty similar to each other.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
There was also evidence that rats had been in the trunk — not just droppings, but chunks of paper had bite marks on the corners, and chew-sized pieces of other pages were missing.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
This is the discovery of researchers at Indiana University, who reported improvements in rats treated with the substance.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Cats are common sightings around feed stores and garden centers, which contain large amounts of grain and seed that can be attractive to mice and rats.
—John Raby, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
To date, these rats have collectively detected around 160,000 landmines.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 8 Oct. 2025
Anyone in Ukraine can hear (or read) the Russian state media that portray Ukrainians as rats, hyenas, and filth, and that has had an effect.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
Other live cameras monitoring elephants, lions and naked mole-rats also remain active during the shutdown.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
An alligator's diet can include chicken liver, rats and animal parts, including bones and cartilage.
—Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Invasive rats and native squirrels have prints that often look pretty similar to each other.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
There was also evidence that rats had been in the trunk — not just droppings, but chunks of paper had bite marks on the corners, and chew-sized pieces of other pages were missing.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rats
Noun
-
Confidential informants had apparently accused me of incendiary comments.—
Joe Garcia,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Police learned in September that Garnett was selling meth and made several purchases of meth from Garnett using confidential informants, according to a probable cause affidavit.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Wildlife lovers will find the endemic Florida scrub jay in the park year-round.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Season 3 found Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) in a friends-to-lovers arc with neighbor Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), who’d harbored a crush on him for years.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
At least 51 people and two dogs have been rescued in Kipnuk and Kwigillingok since the weekend, and over 1,000 others have been displaced and are currently in shelters, a local tribal health agency said.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Initially, sticking to the same routine even on weekends helps dogs adjust.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After taking a break from live performances in 2024, pop star Demi Lovato is ready to give fans a new live show to celebrate her new album.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Posed with a slight smile, the now 8-year-old has shed the long, bouncy curls Drake fans had grown accustomed to.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
During the late 19th and early 20th century, coal miners in Europe and North America used canaries as living carbon monoxide alarms.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The outdoor areas are open from March through October, but available year-round is its Bolz Conservatory, a glass pyramid housing huge tropical plants, chirping canaries and darting quail.—
Peter Cameron,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
His first endeavor, the 1955 short Orchard Street, offered a fragmented, kaleidoscopic view of the Lower East Side Thoroughfare and its denizens.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
9 Oct. 2025
-
But that changed, and the case took a turn after two denizens of Nashville's street scene were identified as suspects.—
Amber Roberson,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The biggest losers are the very citizens electing these clowns.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
-
More than a decade later, the series continues to reimagine American histories and channel primal fears — from clowns and cults, to witches and ghosts — with each installment cloaked in social commentary and camp.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Elam helps answer questions about the process, warns business owners of building code violations and does a preliminary inspection before their state certification visit.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Jill warns that this may not be the best way to preserve your cheese’s flavor and texture either.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rats. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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