rug rat

noun

Definition of rug ratnext
slang
as in preschooler

Related Words

Relevance

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 rug rat Third row seats are best left for rug rats, or folded. — cleveland, 22 Feb. 2020 Your standard maternal protagonist is not dropping a trail of pacifiers behind her, swilling goblets of red wine the minute her rug rats are in bed, and secretly vaping in the linen closet? — Chloe Schama, Vogue, 14 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rug rat
  1. preschooler
  2. minor
  3. adolescent
  4. kindergartner
  5. schoolboy
  6. schoolchild
  7. infant
  8. newborn
Noun
  • For a preschooler, the cost was $1,121 at a home and $1,271 at a center.
    — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Community cohesion Kolya, a preschooler, is just learning how to plant with the advice of the school’s gardeners.
    — Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 25 June 2026
Definition of preschooler
Noun
  • Carman was arrested early Saturday at a Bangkok airport before boarding a flight bound for Perth, Australia, and charged with raping a minor.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 June 2026
  • He was arrested early Saturday at a Bangkok airport before boarding a flight bound for Perth, Australia, and charged with raping a minor.
    — Jintamas Saksornchai, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of minor
Noun
  • But for children and adolescents whose bodies and skeletons are still growing, specialized pediatric orthopedic care is critical.
    — JP Shaffer, Miami Herald, 22 June 2026
  • Despite being a high achiever, Veena Dinavahi struggled with anxiety and depression as an adolescent.
    — Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 20 June 2026
Definition of adolescent
Noun
  • My new kindergartner especially is feeling all the big feels about school.
    — Melissa Willets, Parents, 6 July 2026
  • Recent amendments to be considered include assessing a kindergartner’s math knowledge rather than screening for math deficiencies, something that would help identify students who need additional support.
    — Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of kindergartner
Noun
  • As Prime Minister, Howard—a lifelong conservative who has lived abroad once, campaigning for the Tories in London—was known for having an almost schoolboy zeal for the job.
    — Oscar Schwartz, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • During The Huns’ audition at the Cellar, Nugent was standing next to club owner/promoter Paul Sampson, who was skeptical of the group’s Catholic schoolboy looks — braces, short haircuts and all.
    — Chris Placek, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2026
Definition of schoolboy
Noun
  • Would that every schoolchild could stand on the grassy knoll for a quiet minute, pondering the imponderables.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
  • Provincial transport department official Siboniso Duma said in a statement that 11 people, including a schoolchild, died at the scene, although that was according to preliminary information.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026
Definition of schoolchild
Noun
  • For example, in 2011, the FDA warned parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers not to feed SimplyThick, a thickening gel, to premature infants fitting a particular profile.
    — David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • The median cost for full-time care for an infant in Los Angeles County was $1,209 a month at a family child-care home and $1,818 a month at a center in 2024, according to data from the California Budget & Policy Center.
    — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of infant
Noun
  • The details are buried under language like ‘contribution pilot program,’ IRS form numbers, and are built for compliance rather than someone holding a newborn.
    — Natalie Gordon, Fortune, 6 July 2026
  • The 49-year-old, now a mother to four sons, shared a photo of her breastfeeding a newborn on Instagram.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 6 July 2026
Definition of newborn

Browse Nearby Words

ruggedness
rug rat
rug rats
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rug rat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rug%20rat. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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 (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All