rug rat

noun

Definition of rug ratnext
slang
as in preschooler

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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 In a bid to increase his nation’s number of rug rats, Władysław Grochowski, owner of one of Poland’s biggest hotel chains, has pledged to throw a party for every couple who conceives while staying at his properties. — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025 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
  • Create a Consistent Morning Routine Getting out the door with a preschooler (or two) in tow can feel like a marathon in the morning, but with a bit of structure and a lot of empathy, the transition can be seamless.
    — Parents, Parents, 22 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of preschooler
Noun
  • To limit the addictive nature of social media feeds, the law prohibits companies from using a minor's viewing history or data stored on the device to determine what shows up in their feeds.
    — Ben Szalinski, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • The unrelated minor, the cross-listed seminar, the summer spent on a research project outside a student’s major often foster the very adaptability, range, and connective thinking that employers want.
    — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of minor
Noun
  • One adolescent possibly had contact with the bat, officials said.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • YouTube comedian Bo Burnham directs this empathetic portrait of Kayla (Elsie Fisher), an insecure adolescent who posts motivational vlogs on YouTube while privately struggling with her self-image and burgeoning sexuality.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
Definition of adolescent
Noun
  • Justin Vu, a soon-to-be kindergartener, his mom and sisters had traveled from their home in Denver and were enjoying a visit with family filled with trips to places like the beach and zoo, KGW News reported.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 31 July 2026
  • My new kindergartner especially is feeling all the big feels about school.
    — Melissa Willets, Parents, 6 July 2026
Definition of kindergartner
Noun
  • Khaite and Dior turn tailored trousers into schoolboy bermudas while Maria McManus and Isabel Marant make pedal-pushing leggings look cooler than ever.
    — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 10 July 2026
  • 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
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
  • Perreault-Magny, a father of a toddler, said he's seen mothers carrying infants through the woods, their feet wrapped in aluminum foil to stave off the winter's cold.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • The only product legally required by the federal government to have an expiration date is infant formula.
    — Olga R. Rodriguez, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Definition of infant
Noun
  • As technology continues to improve, the day when every newborn's genome can be read at birth and every adult's genome can be read on request draws closer.
    — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In the early months, they’re used to swaddle newborns (often with a silent prayer for a nap that’s longer than 20 minutes).
    — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of newborn

Browse Nearby Words

ruggedness
rug rat
rug rats
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Cite this Entry

“Rug rat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rug%20rat. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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