rats 1 of 3

interjection

ˈrats How to pronounce rats (audio)
Definition of ratsnext
as in boo
used to express disgust rats, I can't believe anyone would say such a hateful thing

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rats

2 of 3

noun

plural of rat
1
as in informants
a person who provides information about another's wrongdoing the drug mule refused to turn rat without a guarantee of immunity

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2
as in lovers
someone who regularly spends time in a particular place on Friday night the mall rats were out in full force

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3
as in bastards
a person whose behavior is offensive to others no one can understand what she finds appealing in a rat like him

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rats

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of rat
as in leaks

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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 rats
Noun
Schroeder’s team is used to taking on rural pests, like gophers, not urban invaders like rats. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026 Some detest the compost odor; others say decaying food attracts rats. — Emily Staunton, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026 There were swarms of flies and numerous rats at, near or on the bodies. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026 But human colonization several hundred years ago introduced predators such as cats and rats that wiped out most of the kakapo. — Adela Suliman, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026 Nada did not speak of her fear of rats, and would go bring water for them both when Simone would get overwhelmed by fear. — Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 From leopards and zebras to rats and snakes, a large population of the animal kingdom has been represented on the retro basketball sneaker. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 The rotting food has drawn swarms of flies and rats with a foul rancid smell that Boyle Heights residents have said kept them indoors, and business owners have said kept customers away. — Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 The Cubs are led by experienced players, baseball gym rats who enjoy digging into the game’s little details and discussing the finer points of their craft. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rats
  1. boo
  2. informants
  3. lovers
  4. dogs
  5. warns
  6. informers
  7. fans
  8. jerks
Interjection
  • Williams also recalled witnessing the Super Bowl crowd boo Taylor Swift when she was shown on the jumbotron cheering on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce.
    — Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Highlights include a costume parade (for kids and parents), a Purim story and boo Haman and songs.
    — Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Definition of boo
Noun
  • Remember those jailhouse informants who claimed Kezer had confessed?
    — Peter Henderson, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Detectives relied on confidential informants to bust the operation – an informant who purchased drugs from Robinson blew the operation open.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of informants
Noun
  • Board game lovers will soon be able to nerd out at a new store and may even get the chance to play a few rounds inside a former bank vault.
    — Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, volumizing mascara lovers may just have found their new holy grail, particularly those who want volume without clumping.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of lovers
Noun
  • Four months later, he was seen last weekend walking dogs, taking walks, enjoying a cup of coffee in a garage, and even stopping to sift through neighborhood trash items on the side of the street.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • AutoCamp Catskills not only allows dogs (for a fee of $75 per stay for up to two dogs), but welcomes them.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of dogs
Verb
  • The doctors’ group, Protect Young Fans, warns of the potential health risks posed by highly caffeinated drinks like Monster Energy, particularly to children and adolescents, citing a growing body of scientific research across the medical spectrum.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • This comes on top of the area already receiving nine to 15 inches of rain as the weather service warns people not to drive in the hazardous conditions.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of warns
Noun
  • One of State Security’s main goals, as well as a central source of its strength, is turning civilians into informers.
    — Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
  • And so every regime invests in having student informers.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of informers
Noun
  • Heads of state, parents of book recipients, music fans, movie fans and, like me, women who felt blessed to have had such a glamorous role model publicly mourned the loss.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Thank you for the memories, the friendship, and for bringing joy to generations of fans.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fans
Noun
  • The Ars OpenForum is a place for readers to ask questions, compare notes, argue (without being jerks to each other), and go down all sorts of rabbit holes.
    — Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • That screwed up the works / And not due to his sloppy hiring / Of a crew of incompetent jerks.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of jerks

Browse Nearby Words

rat (on)
rats
rat snake
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rats. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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