RATS (ON) Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

rats (on)

verb

Definition of rats (on)

present tense third-person singular of rat (on)

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

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

Ullrich sees the shift less as a dodge than as a new chair recalibrating how the institution talks.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 8 July 2026
In the same sequence, Carter talks to a rancher about working for him.

— Brayden Garcia July 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026

Definition of talks

Verb

And a $208 million Rural Health Transformation award now lets Arkansas confront the maternity care deserts the national conversation overlooks—because when the nearest delivery unit is an hour away, distance itself is a risk factor.

— John Boozman, Time, 23 June 2026
Set against the backdrop of Burns’ native city of Liverpool, the drama revolves around a 17-year-old soldier who deserts his post during the Iraq war.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 May 2026

Definition of deserts

Verb

Trump views it in zero-sum terms, as a thing the strong seize from the weak—a view that informs his constant desire to steal natural resources from smaller countries.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
This was my strategy throughout the book and informs my citational practices as well.

— Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 July 2026

Definition of informs

Verb

Previous controversy While the Missouri Young Republicans group rejects the core of the allegations, the lawsuit isn’t the first time a young Republican organization has courted controversy.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026
Over the decades of Catcher’s fame, the novel has gained a reputation as the tale of a teenager who rejects nearly everything.

— Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Definition of rejects

Verb

In Red Sheet, which is set, like most of his novels, in mid-century Los Angeles, Ellroy abandons the three-character structure in favor of a single narrative voice that clamps down hard.

— Carolyn Kellogg, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
The lesson is that Beijing rarely abandons strategically important objectives once they become embedded in national planning documents and long-term competition strategy.

— Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 28 June 2026

Definition of abandons

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.

Browse Nearby Words

rat snakes

rats (on)

rattan

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rats (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rats%20%28on%29. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of rats (on)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tacit

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes