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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in lovers
someone who regularly spends time in a particular place
on Friday night the mall rats were out in full force
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in dogs
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
no one can understand what she finds appealing in a rat like him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rats
Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The Angels went to bat against the rats, announcing that cleaning crews would get to work an hour after each game instead of waiting until the next morning.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Chopped banana peels can also attract curious and hungry pests like rats, possums, and raccoons, as well as fruit flies, gnats, and their harmful larvae.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
The rats eat everything, leaving us with nothing.
—Jeremy Mikula, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
Two Tarrant County restaurants were closed because of roach infestations, and another was noted to have problems with rats in the latest round of health inspections, according to the inspection report.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2026
Someone says the rats are actually cute — what’s your honest response?
—Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 24 Apr. 2026
According to a report from ABC News, residents of Mayfair, Pennsylvania, said the rats are a visible nuisance each year as the weather warms.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Family-friendly With babysitters available upon request, flocks of sheep to be inspected, and eggs to be collected from the chicken coup, little people (especially the sooty, city rats), will be in rural rapture.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
The Angels are paying hundreds of millions for a roster that cannot find home plate, while the rats are finding nacho cheese without spending a dime.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The Angels went to bat against the rats, announcing that cleaning crews would get to work an hour after each game instead of waiting until the next morning.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Chopped banana peels can also attract curious and hungry pests like rats, possums, and raccoons, as well as fruit flies, gnats, and their harmful larvae.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
The rats eat everything, leaving us with nothing.
—Jeremy Mikula, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
Two Tarrant County restaurants were closed because of roach infestations, and another was noted to have problems with rats in the latest round of health inspections, according to the inspection report.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2026
Someone says the rats are actually cute — what’s your honest response?
—Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 24 Apr. 2026
According to a report from ABC News, residents of Mayfair, Pennsylvania, said the rats are a visible nuisance each year as the weather warms.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Family-friendly With babysitters available upon request, flocks of sheep to be inspected, and eggs to be collected from the chicken coup, little people (especially the sooty, city rats), will be in rural rapture.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rats
Noun
-
Closer to home, agents searched houses across New England, relying heavily on informants.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Federal prosecutors in Alabama secured an 11-count indictment accusing the organization of paying millions of dollars to some of those undercover informants and hiding the real purpose of the payments from its donors.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For more advice on keeping your pets happy, healthy and safe through every season, visit USA TODAY Pets, your destination for expert advice, heartwarming stories and the latest news for animal lovers.—
Ronnie Li,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Some, like Chloe’s triad, are all lovers.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In recent years, Ed Sheeran slipped behind the counter, gamely slinging dogs and taking his fair share of abuse from the staff.—
Jimmy Jellinek,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The state law relies on federal oversight, but even those who meet USDA standards can breed dogs in conditions that would shock most of us.—
Annie Hornish,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And so every regime invests in having student informers.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Security services also rely on informers to tell them who might be using Starlink, and search internet and social media traffic for signs it has been used.—
David Rising,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Head coach Rob Edwards walked into a club in November with fans in revolt, players and coaches being booed and owners being told to leave.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
After the game, Bauer returned the favor for those at the Pennsylvania ballpark, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans after entering his name into the Ducks’ record books.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The proverbial canaries in coal mines will then cause a recession.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
1 Mar. 2026
-
By crunching data from millions of monthly payroll records for workers in jobs with exposure to generative AI, the authors concluded that workers ages 22 to 25—the canaries—have seen about a 13 percent decline in employment since late 2022.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Wall Street—to use the term in its figurative sense—would like its customers to make money, but what truly causes its denizens’ juices to flow is feverish activity.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Similar plant progressions occur by altitude on the mountains, along with the forest’s famed denizens, the wolf, coyote, moose, black bear, lynx, snowshoe hare, tick, mosquito, midge, deerfly, and blackfly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Once completed, the $5 million acquisition will ensure the theater has a permanent home, a place where skateboarding clowns and leek-haired onions can continue to frolic and dance for decades to come.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Plot details are being kept under wraps, though the film has been described as a four-quadrant coming-of-age comedy set in the world of funny and evil clowns.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rats. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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