1
as in splits (on)
to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities
how much—or how little—did the fuzz have to pay you to rat on us?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in defects (from)
to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another
many party operatives ratted on the senator's candidacy once her poll numbers started to slip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rats (on)
Verb
-
Karim just talks to the camera about elephants in a conversational tone.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026 -
Karim simply talks to his camera in a conversational tone about the elephants at the San Diego Zoo.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sean, 17, deserts his post in the midst of the Iraq war and returns to England.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
5 Dec. 2025
-
Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Isabel Greenberg, the upcoming adaptation follows a young bride named Cherry (scream queen Maika Monroe), whose husband (Amir El-Masry) deserts her in the care of the sexy Manfred (Nicholas Galitzine) and her maid, Hero (Emma Corrin).—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Olsson rejects The Athletic’s offer to take cover inside the coffee shop.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
If the council rejects the one-year contract — which would cost $150,000 and provide 50 cameras at a maximum of 20 intersections — Johnston’s administration has said the program will shut down.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The group quickly abandons the car, leaving the infant alone with at least one of the car doors open for an hour.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Frates and some other Miamians want the YMCA of Greater Miami to take over the building and put in athletic facilities after the library abandons the building.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Gavrilovska reflects on Pynchon’s long career and his interest in writing about systems, how his time as a technical writer at Boeing informs his work, his classic novels Gravity’s Rainbow and The Crying of Lot 49, and his new novel, Shadow Ticket.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Luna, the latest in Norwegian’s Prima Plus Class, takes inspiration from space – a theme that informs the design, amenities and programming.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Rats (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rats%20%28on%29. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
