rat-a-tat

noun

ˈra-tə-ˌtat How to pronounce rat-a-tat (audio)
variants or rat-a-tat-tat
ˌra-tə-ˌta(t)-ˈtat How to pronounce rat-a-tat (audio)
: a rapid succession of knocking, tapping, or cracking sounds

Examples of rat-a-tat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Ritchie’s terrific rat-a-tat-tat script remains his best, performed by a cast at the height of their game. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 Nick Interlandi’s soundscapes swell with the rat-a-tat of machine guns, or zero in on the precise, satisfying crunch of glass cracking under bone, while Oren Soffer’s cinematography runs the gamut from sickly clinical to startlingly sensual. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026 Only the heel of a woman's oxford pump could make that sort of solid but somehow dainty rat-a-tat-tat. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 9 June 2026 The very utterance of the pairing — Stabler to Biletnikoff — has a nice rat-a-tat-tat sound to it. — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rat-a-tat

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rat-a-tat was in 1681

Rhymes for rat-a-tat

See All Rhymes for rat-a-tat

Browse Nearby Words

rat-arsed
rat-a-tat
ratatouille
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rat-a-tat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rat-a-tat. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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