as in psychotic
unable to think in a clear or sensible way
by film's end it's obvious that faded movie star Norma Desmond is completely bats
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hits
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
2
as in canes
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 knocks
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 licks
to strike repeatedly
batted the piñata until it finally broke open
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3
as in roams
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 bats
Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2026
His best secondary pitch is a slider with two-plane depth into the low 80s that misses bats at a high clip and projects to continue to do so at higher levels.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Jan. 2026
No more than 130 at-bats or 50 innings in the majors, which is MLB’s cutoff for the Rookie of the Year Award.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
The bats could also face long-term health issues that can lead to death, such as renal failure.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
At dusk, a colony of bats can be spotted emerging from an old railway tunnel now called Old Tunnel State Park.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 10 Jan. 2026
While a few animals such as woodchucks and bats are true hibernators, many others remain active in both rural and urban areas throughout the winter.
—Susan Koch, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
The Rangers needed more than just one (or, even, two) additional bats to fix last season’s offense, and even if one were acquired, wholesale internal improvements would’ve been required to create meaningful change.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
The headlights of the long-haul trucks illuminated Joshua trees and darting bats.
—Hazlitt, 7 Jan. 2026
Lisa Hughes, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
Malice bats third to effortlessly deliver some of his best lyrical work from Let God Sort Em Out.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Nov. 2025
Mookie Betts, who bats directly behind Ohtani, is just 3-for-23 in this Fall Classic.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 31 Oct. 2025
However, this one bats a pretty impressive average, and the triptych structure keeps things moving at a nice clip.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer emphasized that the Pirates' toughest free agency decision will be figuring out which bats the team can acquire to back Skenes.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Oct. 2025
And yet when an athlete expresses that same sentiment, nobody bats an eyelash.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
The danger posed by such diseases was exemplified by COVID-19, which jumped from bats to humans to catastrophic effect.
—Verb
No one, in this room of 150-plus diners, bats an eye.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for bats
Adjective
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That character is having a kind of psychotic break, really.—
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However, mental health experts now warn that for a small group of vulnerable people, long and emotionally charged conversations with AI may worsen delusions or psychotic symptoms.—
Noun
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Like a puck zipping into a net at warp speed as the home crowd roars, Heated Rivalry has quickly and fiercely become one of the biggest surprise hits in recent memory.—
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As a result, the film sees Jackman and Hudson perform a collection of Diamond's beloved hits, which jogged Moore’s memory.—
Noun
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Plants should bloom more reliably and rose canes will thicken as their roots establish.—
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Students at the center learn how to travel independently using canes and public transportation, cook and clean safely, use adaptive technology like screen readers and voiceover software, read Braille, and prepare for employment.—
Verb
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Three weeks later, in early October, Kim knocks on Helen’s door.—
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One of the biggest knocks on him is his lack of experience.—
Verb
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Weir picked up his first guitar licks from David Nelson and future Jefferson Airplane member Jorma Kaukonen.—
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Everybody licks the big pink flesh wall.—
Verb
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Scoop City’s own Dianna Russini roams the sideline.—
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As flares light up the sky, the Deliriant, now a blond hooligan, roams the streets of a port city with Tai Zhaomei (Li Gengxi), a singer and gangster’s moll.—
Adjective
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And everyone is mad at Andrew—though this one feels like a rumor and more reality.—
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He’s been thrown straight into a mad month, in which Chelsea have Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League fixtures.—
Noun
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Additionally, 35 people were also treated at the scene and in hospitals for various injuries, such as lacerations, blows and scrapes, Crónica reported.—
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The fourth quarter was a wild one, with each team trading blows.—
Cite this Entry
“Bats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bats. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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