rat (on)

1
as in to split (on)
to give information (as to the authorities) about another's improper or unlawful activities how much—or how little—did the fuzz have to pay you to rat on us?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to desert
to leave (a cause or party) often in order to take up another many party operatives ratted on the senator's candidacy once her poll numbers started to slip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rat (on)
Verb
  • His wit hasn’t deserted him, however, which gives his hatred a poisonous potency.
    Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025
  • For that’s what the Bronx was for us: a working-class ghetto destined to be deserted by its young.
    Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Backstreet Boys talk Las Vegas Sphere residency Support the Short List andbecome a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.
    Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Hood wants the exhibitions and related artist talks to change the way people see themselves and others, and treat one another.
    Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Never the favorite of his party's professional advisers, Merz was twice rejected as Merkel's successor as party leader, in 2018 and 2021, before his doggedness won out in 2022.
    Thomas Escritt, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025
  • When this innate drive for self-expansion is unfulfilled within the current relationship, individuals may seek it elsewhere—including through infidelity. Cheating, in this case, isn’t necessarily about rejecting a relationship but about reclaiming a lost sense of self.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • But several national security agencies, including the FBI, and multiple other federal departments advised staffers not to respond to the email immediately, suggesting that the broader executive branch was not informed of nor prepared for the demand.
    Andrew Torgan, CNN, 23 Feb. 2025
  • They were informed earlier this week that their superstar center, Victor Wembanyama, is ruled out for the rest of the season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.
    Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 23 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Housing inspectors visited rental when kids were living alone At least twice, inspectors visited a Pontiac townhome where the children were allegedly abandoned by their mother, raising questions as to whether the kids could have been found and rescued sooner.
    Gina Kaufman, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
  • After all, few imagined that Trump would move so swiftly to not only abandon Ukraine, but also to threaten it—undermining Ukraine’s self-defense at the very moment that defense is complicating Russian war plans.
    David Axe, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The flood raged for nearly 20 hours, cutting off escape routes and trapping them in a claustrophobic nightmare.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
  • Shortly thereafter, the allowance was cut off, von Hoffburg was arrested, and the Army held a discharge board hearing to consider whether she should be separated from the service.
    Natalie Shibley / Made by History, TIME, 21 Feb. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Rat (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rat%20%28on%29. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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