bat 1 of 2

noun

ˈbat How to pronounce bat (audio)
Definition of batnext
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

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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

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bat

2 of 2

verb

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

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2
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly batted the piñata until it finally broke open

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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

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Example 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
Noun
On Wednesday, however, Boone was more than happy with Grisham’s recent at-bats. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026 And not just to get to the big leagues and chill there, but to eventually become a middle-of-the-order bat. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
After a brief 7-on-7 period, Maye took a would-be sack, ripped a completion to Brown, had a pass batted at the line and lofted a touchdown to Rhamondre Stevenson. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2026 But this slight rule change is something Taylor isn’t even batting an eye at. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bat
  1. blow
  2. cane
  3. knock
  4. lick
  5. roam
  6. thump
  7. baton
  8. hit
Noun
  • That would be a heavy blow for an economy growing at less than 1% a year.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Pats were dealt a tough blow Thursday when Brown suffered an injury that forced his removal from the game.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Procaccini is recovering from a broken leg and uses a walker or cane.
    — Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • These are people who use a cane, crutches, a rollator or a wheelchair some of the time rather than all of the time.
    — Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of cane
Verb
  • Northerly breezes will knock the humidity levels down a bit with dewpoint temps in the mid-60s.
    — Bill Kelly, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Moments later, Sikorski walked past the teen girl who was recording the incident and her phone was knocked to the ground.
    — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of knock
Verb
  • Her entire face got licked clean off her head when suburban floodwaters breached the cardboard hull protecting Kath’s basement memorabilia stack a few months before I was born.
    — Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • There’s truly nothing like licking that paper lid, then shoveling that tiny tongue depressor into a child-sized serving of vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • The young mayor has instead focused on labor protection, citing taxi drivers as the main point of concern with allowing robotaxis to roam Manhattan.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • New teams of crisis intervention and community violence prevention workers will soon roam portions of the agency’s Red, Blue and Green rail lines.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of roam
Noun
  • The lower-vocal harmony struggles to stand out any time the deeper bass thumps.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Ramirez was Miami’s primary catcher as a rookie last season and can add some thump to Miami’s lineup, but his work defensively remains underwhelming.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of thump
Noun
  • The Public Defender's Office said Govindbhai, without double-checking the plate numbers, walked to the driver's side door and struck the window with his baton four times, smashing the glass.
    — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Some pushed against barricades and scuffled with police, who responded by firing tear gas rounds, using water cannon and beating them with batons, TV footage showed.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of baton
Verb
  • That was a new record and only once before has the number of moves hit double figures.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Bryce Eldridge hit his 12th home run, an impressive opposite-field shot.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of hit

Phrases Containing bat

Browse Nearby Words

bastions
bat
bat (around)
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Cite this Entry

“Bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bat. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bat

Nglish: Translation of bat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bat

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