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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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
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Recent Examples of bat
Tom Metcalfe,
Scientific American,
2 July 2026
The Marlins haven’t sent Marsee down to the minors because of their need for a center fielder, his ability to cover a lot of ground defensively, and the belief that his at-bats has generally been pretty good.
—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
ABC News,
28 June 2026
For Wednesday’s game, Schmitt is slated to play second and bat third.
—
Justice Delos Santos,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bat
Noun
In most cases, it was mixed with ancient animal DNA—often from species such as bats and rodents.
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Tom Metcalfe,
Scientific American,
2 July 2026
The Marlins haven’t sent Marsee down to the minors because of their need for a center fielder, his ability to cover a lot of ground defensively, and the belief that his at-bats has generally been pretty good.
—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
Verb
Bangladesh chose to bat and made only 117-5 in the face of quality bowling by Kapp (1-9) Shabnim Ismail (1-15) and Nonkululeko Mlaba (2-22).
—
ABC News,
28 June 2026
For Wednesday’s game, Schmitt is slated to play second and bat third.
—
Justice Delos Santos,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bat
Noun
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Vingegaard’s victory at the Giro d’Italia in May, allied with Wout Van Aert’s cathartic win at Paris-Roubaix, has delivered two key objectives but the surprise departure of head of racing Grischa Niermann to Lidl-Trek was a blow.
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Hers is a voice that ought to have a lifetime’s staying power, bolstered by a lyrical and musical sensibility that provide everything her instrument needs to deliver a happy succession of knockout blows.
Noun
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Jung, who is going into his senior year of high school, said SmartBlink can detect pedestrians using wheelchairs, crutches or canes, too.
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An individual bush can grow up to 15 feet high and 40 feet long, with thick stems, also known as canes, marked by sharp, hooked thorns.
Verb
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Each part looks radically different today than when players first started knocking balls around hundreds of years ago.
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The bench tipped, and the man put out a hand to steady himself, knocking a Hopi headpiece off a ledge.
Verb
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In the end, none of them were fit to lick the boots of Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800.
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But the Carolinas have their own ways of making barbecue finger-licking.
Verb
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Visitors can hike trails and drive a scenic route through the colorful, rugged Badlands where bison and wild horses roam.
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The age of sail, when pirates like Johnny Depp’s fictional Jack Sparrow roamed the seven seas, ended about 200 years ago.
Noun
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That next phase will focus on measuring the shockwaves generated by the X-59 in flight, along with evaluating the sonic thump impact on the ground.
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Not long after, Jamison’s parents reported hearing a loud thump, as though someone had fallen, according to prosecutors.
Noun
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The officers hit him with a baton and shocked him seven times.
-
Somebody had dropped the baton.
Verb
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Against Cardinals’ starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore, the Braves mustered just one hit and one run through five innings of an eventual 5-3 loss.
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Thomas had hit a leadoff double, but Michael Massey, Salvador Perez and John Rave failed to drive him in.
Cite this Entry
“Bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bat. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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