the rat race
noun
: the unpleasant life of people who have jobs that require them to work very hard in order to compete with others for money, power, status, etc.
She is quitting the rat race to spend time with her family.
Examples of the rat race in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Speaking of the rat race, our very own Jeffrey Van Camp, who edits the WIRED reviews section, is one of those people who's been trying to get a PS5.
—
Wired Staff, WIRED, 19 Feb. 2021
Taking time out from the rat race, allows your ideas to incubate.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Any character who has even the slimmest chance of escaping the rat race inevitably becomes a fan favorite.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 30 Sep. 2024
In fact, the majority of Whitman students opt out of the rat race, more than happy to attend one of Maryland’s minimally selective public colleges or other public or private schools in the mid-Atlantic or beyond.
—Michael J. Petrilli, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
Big Bear Lake The towns in the San Bernardino Mountains—including Big Bear, Arrowhead, and the surrounding areas—have always been iconic mountain escapes, especially for Southern Californians looking to retreat from the rat race.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 31 July 2024
Most of all, Battista envisioned the Idle as a vantage point above the rat race where the sea of traffic noise can shape-shift to sound like a hurricane or a hum, depending on a person's imagination and the time of day.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 18 July 2024
On the other side of the door is a full-service restaurant that feels like a secret, chic club — the polar opposite of the rat race in the Herald Square subway station (no pun intended).
—Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 26 June 2024
Ivan Reiff, its owner and captain, bought the business more than two decades ago, motivated by a desire to escape the rat race and make a living on the water.
—Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2024
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Wired Staff, WIRED, 19 Feb. 2021
Taking time out from the rat race, allows your ideas to incubate.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Any character who has even the slimmest chance of escaping the rat race inevitably becomes a fan favorite.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 30 Sep. 2024
In fact, the majority of Whitman students opt out of the rat race, more than happy to attend one of Maryland’s minimally selective public colleges or other public or private schools in the mid-Atlantic or beyond.
—Michael J. Petrilli, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
Big Bear Lake The towns in the San Bernardino Mountains—including Big Bear, Arrowhead, and the surrounding areas—have always been iconic mountain escapes, especially for Southern Californians looking to retreat from the rat race.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 31 July 2024
Most of all, Battista envisioned the Idle as a vantage point above the rat race where the sea of traffic noise can shape-shift to sound like a hurricane or a hum, depending on a person's imagination and the time of day.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 18 July 2024
On the other side of the door is a full-service restaurant that feels like a secret, chic club — the polar opposite of the rat race in the Herald Square subway station (no pun intended).
—Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 26 June 2024
Ivan Reiff, its owner and captain, bought the business more than two decades ago, motivated by a desire to escape the rat race and make a living on the water.
—Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2024
Dictionary Entries Near the rat race
Cite this Entry
“The rat race.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20rat%20race. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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