as in psychotic
unable to think in a clear or sensible way
by film's end it's obvious that faded movie star Norma Desmond is completely bats
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hits
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
a sharp bat with a rolled-up newspaper and that fly was a goner
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in canes
a heavy rigid stick used as a weapon or for punishment
riot policemen armed with bats and tear gas
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in knocks
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
batted the lamp off the table with one strike
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in licks
to strike repeatedly
batted the piñata until it finally broke open
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in roams
to move about from place to place aimlessly
on Sunday afternoons we'd pile into Father's car and bat around the countryside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bats
Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
After Marcus’s ground ball, everybody took great at-bats.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Aaron Judge has half of those hits in 43 at-bats.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Sometimes the Flock license-plate reader cameras were sprayed with pink spray paint; other times they were struck with bats, hit with BB guns, or simply unscrewed.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
Outside of insects, the only local birds that pollinate flowers are our hummingbirds, and Maryland doesn’t have pollinating bats (our local species eat insects).
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 28 Apr. 2026
One reason is the Tigers’ relievers continue to struggle with missing bats.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Executing pitches, having quality at-bats, and making routine plays.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Apr. 2026
But the Padres hitters, who did have some long but fruitless at-bats, also missed on some pitches.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
White, who bats ninth, has saved some of her best games for the toughest opponents.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Right fielder Kyle Tucker usually bats behind leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Obviously, there are ambitions for Broadway and the West End, but Tiffany bats such thoughts aside.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
The food chain is in full and pitiless effect, and no one bats an eye, or side-eyes a bat, when natural predatory impulses kick in.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Taylor bats leadoff for the presumptive Best Picture favorite.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
If Roberts bats Tucker second and Smith fifth, Freeman would likely take over as the cleanup hitter.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Malice bats third to effortlessly deliver some of his best lyrical work from Let God Sort Em Out.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Nov. 2025
Noun
Back at Big Thunder, there will be other fresh surprises, including 2,000 bats added in the approach to the ride’s rainbow caverns.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
After Marcus’s ground ball, everybody took great at-bats.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Aaron Judge has half of those hits in 43 at-bats.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Sometimes the Flock license-plate reader cameras were sprayed with pink spray paint; other times they were struck with bats, hit with BB guns, or simply unscrewed.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
Outside of insects, the only local birds that pollinate flowers are our hummingbirds, and Maryland doesn’t have pollinating bats (our local species eat insects).
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 28 Apr. 2026
One reason is the Tigers’ relievers continue to struggle with missing bats.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Executing pitches, having quality at-bats, and making routine plays.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Apr. 2026
But the Padres hitters, who did have some long but fruitless at-bats, also missed on some pitches.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Peralta then was replaced by left-hander Brooks Raley, and Kelly was sent up to hit for Moisés Ballesteros, a rookie who bats from the left side.
—CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
White, who bats ninth, has saved some of her best games for the toughest opponents.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Right fielder Kyle Tucker usually bats behind leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Obviously, there are ambitions for Broadway and the West End, but Tiffany bats such thoughts aside.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
The food chain is in full and pitiless effect, and no one bats an eye, or side-eyes a bat, when natural predatory impulses kick in.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Taylor bats leadoff for the presumptive Best Picture favorite.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
If Roberts bats Tucker second and Smith fifth, Freeman would likely take over as the cleanup hitter.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Malice bats third to effortlessly deliver some of his best lyrical work from Let God Sort Em Out.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bats
Adjective
-
Netflix’s bracingly nasty action-thriller Apex is a fine addition, plonking the star down in a rugged Australian landscape and throwing nature’s formidable might at her while stirring a psychotic serial killer into the mix.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The risk of a psychotic disorder rose fourfold when highly potent weed was used daily, the study found.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Soriano allowed three runs on six hits with six strikeouts and three walks in five innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Nats then went to the bullpen, ending his night at eight runs (four earned) on five hits over 4 2/3 innings.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To rejuvenate these shrubs, cut three of the thickest canes all the way back to the ground in spring.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Video footage of disabled military veterans—some in wheelchairs, others leaning on canes—being zip-tied and dragged out of the Capitol Rotunda for staging a peaceful, anti-war protest.—
John Whitehead,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At that house, no one answered a Statesman reporter’s knocks on Monday, but Davidson told the Statesman that his family owns the whole lot.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Apr. 2026
-
For one thing, precedent says that Waddle’s production this fall should, health permitting (knocks on wood), just about double whatever numbers Cooper puts out as a rookie for the J-E-T-S in 2026.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
-
After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose.—
Megan Sauer
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fernandes then roams towards that wing to support his team-mates and be in a position to attack the space behind Fulham left-back Ryan Sessegnon.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The five-person cast roams the room, sitting at various circular tables to blur the lines between script and improvisation.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the annals of English football, this shoots close to the top of the list of ridiculous moments, along with Troy Deeney’s mad goal for Watford in the Championship play-offs in 2013 and Sergio Aguero’s Premier League title-winning strike for Manchester City in 2012.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Here's our list of the five best space prison movies (in no particular order, don't get mad at the numbers).—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Russian military appears to be losing some ground in Ukraine, contrary to claims by Moscow’s top brass; Ukrainian strikes are delivering damaging blows to vital Russian oil and gas infrastructure; and drone strikes by Kyiv have disrupted life in the Russian capital before.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
And Minnesota didn’t absorb or respond to the blows.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bats. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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