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
Relevance
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
Examples 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 bat
Omar White, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
And two state agencies will go to bat for health insurance consumers, including the Insurance Division, led by the acting insurance commissioner, and the Health Education Advocacy Unit in the Maryland Attorney General’s office.
—Riley Gutiérrez McDermid, Baltimore Sun, 11 Dec. 2024
Chuck Murr, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Probably no better way to do that than to have Josh Naylor batting behind you.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bat 
Noun
His mid-air bat up and over Dostal brings him within two of the league lead in goals.
—Omar White, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
And two state agencies will go to bat for health insurance consumers, including the Insurance Division, led by the acting insurance commissioner, and the Health Education Advocacy Unit in the Maryland Attorney General’s office.
—Riley Gutiérrez McDermid, Baltimore Sun, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
Santo also was a nine-time All-Star in 15 seasons (1960-73 with Cubs, 1974 with White Sox), batting .277 with 377 homers and 1,331 RBI.
—Chuck Murr, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Probably no better way to do that than to have Josh Naylor batting behind you.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bat
Noun
-
However, Washington delivered a blow to dislodge the football and the Ravens recovered.Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 21 Dec. 2024
-
That allowed him to outland Fury and score with more effective blows while limiting Fury’s opportunities to counter.Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Hard freezes, ice, and snow will damage or break canes, making plants more susceptible to pests and disease.Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2024
-
The age this particular persona is supposed to represent remains ambiguous in the scene, but the Jackal uses a cane and maintains a sense of frailty in his body, both of which contribute to another visual iteration of geriatric Redmayne.Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Don’t give up 44 points to Russell Wilson, which would have meant the Steelers would be facing the possibility of the Bengals knocking them out of the playoffs next week.Paul Dehner Jr., The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
-
Consider that lovely image from the book of Revelation of Christ standing at the door knocking.Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
And resist the urge to lick your lips when they’re chapped, Davis says.Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024
-
Another sculpture show London licking a disembodied human hand.Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Two bear cubs native to Alaska roaming across rural Florida.Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2024
-
Explore the area to see where these animals roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago.Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The Vigor has flat seams and enough stretch to move comfortably while bending over or reaching up, while thump loops make for easy layering on frigid days.Emily Pennington, Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2024
-
The White Sox have a major need for power hitting as Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez and Yoan Moncada are gone and Andrew Vaughn appears to have misplaced his thump.Phil Rogers, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Pelosi has remained a major political force in the Democratic Party even after handing the Democratic baton in the House to Brooklyn Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who recently won a second two-year term as minority leader.Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
-
Police were able to view surveillance footage from the hospital that showed a man wearing a police-style belt that included a firearm, three magazines, a baton, medical kit and pouches for handcuffs and O.C. spray, according to the warrant affidavit.Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
El Sett After biopics devoted to iconic music artists Maria Callas (Maria), Amy Winehouse (Back to Black) and Bob Dylan (A Complete Unknown) in 2024, the life of famed Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum will hit the big screen in 2025.Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2025
-
But before this could happen, Congress hit another 20-year pause button and extended their copyright term to 95 years.Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 1 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near bat
Cite this Entry
“Bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bat. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share