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 bastards
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

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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
In the weeks after, more than 85 million pounds of rotting food being kept at the cold storage facility began to rot, leaving a putrid stench lingering over the area that led to infestations of rats, flies and other rodents. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 For this argument Thomasine was jailed—stuffed into a damp, stinking, deadly stone cell crawling with rats and lice—to force her to change her beliefs. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 Researchers demonstrated the system in rats by creating a network linking sensors and neural interfaces across the body. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, studies in rats examining magnetic fields and bone density have produced inconsistent results, with some finding weaker bones and others finding no effect at all. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026 In the county, health officials said infected fleas often are found on rats, free-roaming cats and opossums. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 And because of SoundScan, nobody could ignore how many mall rats were out there buying it. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026 When rats reach that second level, city officials need some answer, any answer, to their rat problem. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2026 Old rats paired with younger ones outlived those paired with animals their own age. — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 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
  • 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
  • Of the plants, the informants identified eight that sick elephants appear to target for a specific therapeutic purpose, or what the study suggests is the strongest evidence of intentional self-medication.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of informants
Noun
  • In the visual, Karol and Mars portray lovers once again — and even share a dramatic, firework-spurring embrace at the end.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Withholding his feelings and observations from family and lovers while sharing them with the outside world, Chen traces variations of longing and desire.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of lovers
Noun
  • Falling behind Gavin Kenneally, whose company makes industrial and military robot dogs, is working to find a new source of rare earth metals, of which China has nearly a global monopoly.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Sheriff’s cadaver dogs, deputies with shovels and a backhoe were seen at work.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of dogs
Verb
  • Poland’s prime minister warns Russia may target countries supporting Ukraine with hybrid attacks, while new drone explosions have heightened local fears.
    — Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Continue reading … ‘BREAKING POINT’ — Netflix star warns Hollywood has grown outspokenly conservative.
    — , FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 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
  • Bryan pushed back at the time, arguing that the song spoke to both sides of the aisle and urging fans not to let social media narratives divide them.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2026
  • With choreography from frequent collaborator Sean Bankhead, the visuals felt like a return to form, one that fans had long been anticipating.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 2 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
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Cite this Entry

“Rats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rats. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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