1
as in blow
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
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2
as in cane
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 to knock
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 to lick
to strike repeatedly
batted the piñata until it finally broke open
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to roam
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 bat
Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Locals who encounter a bat inside their homes or have a pet that is exposed to a bat are encouraged to contact their doctor and the public health department at (502) 574-6650.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 11 July 2025
Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Seager, a former Dodger, is batting .447 (21 for 47) with five homers, two doubles, nine RBIs, 10 walks and no strikeouts in his last 13 games against the Angels dating to Sept. 26, 2023.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bat
Noun
The offense figures to only get better with Bregman’s bat back in the mix as the Red Sox buckle down to battle for a postseason spot in the second half.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Locals who encounter a bat inside their homes or have a pet that is exposed to a bat are encouraged to contact their doctor and the public health department at (502) 574-6650.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 11 July 2025
Verb
On the positive side of the ledger, he’s come up with lots of big hits for the Twins, batting .325 with runners in scoring position and .414 in high-leverage spots.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Seager, a former Dodger, is batting .447 (21 for 47) with five homers, two doubles, nine RBIs, 10 walks and no strikeouts in his last 13 games against the Angels dating to Sept. 26, 2023.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bat
Noun
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Smith shoved the gun in the guy’s gut, took the blow, then left.—
John J. Lennon,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
-
The title bout bore out as a chess match, as the ISL school traded blows with one of the top MIAA teams from the South Shore.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
19 July 2025
Noun
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If consumed in excess, both cane and high-fructose corn syrup, like all sugars, can carry negative health effects including weight gain, diabetes and heart disease.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
18 July 2025
-
Countries ranging from South America to Europe and Asia more commonly use sucrose, derived from cane or beet sugar, in Coca-Cola.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 July 2025
Verb
-
Instead, Sue goes all Mama Bear and uses her powers to knock him into the teleporter and then Silver Surfer has a change of heart and knocks him back in when Galactus tries to get out.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
-
Remember, as little as 6 inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
The Boston Celtics are still licking their wounds following the heartbreaking end to the 2024-25 NBA season.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
-
And Lil Wayne agrees by licking my face, which is part of the job description for companion dogs.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Historically, the species roamed throughout much of the Southwest through central Mexico before being nearly eradicated from the wild by the 1970s, largely due to conflicts with the livestock industry.—
Shelby Slade,
AZCentral.com,
24 July 2025
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The Rhône spills into the wild Camargue delta, where white horses gallop through salt marshes, flamingos strike poses in pink lagoons, and black bulls roam freely beneath the vast Provençal sky.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson give this team just enough thump to be dangerous.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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The team pulled off a shocking blockbuster by landing franchise slugger Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox, immediately filling its need for some left-handed thump in the batting order.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Marshal Goodnight faces charges including impersonating a peace officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of a stun gun, possessing a baton and possessing a tear gas weapon, police said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
23 July 2025
-
Jasmine reportedly entered the car wearing black gloves and carrying another metal baton.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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The floods that hit the Hill Country nearly three weeks ago killed dozens of young girls at Camp Mystic, many of whose families live in the Houston region.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
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More: Bourbon, other U.S. spirits could soon be hit with retaliatory EU tariffs.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bat. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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