cats

plural of cat
1
as in kittens
a small domestic animal known for catching mice the family's cat did an exemplary job of keeping the house and yard free of all rodents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2

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 cats The practice has declined with growing pet ownership and urbanization, and younger Vietnamese are more likely to regard dogs and cats as companion animals. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and household birds can accompany passengers in the cabin on flights within the US. — Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Oct. 2026 Last July, a man in Arizona died of pneumonic plague after he was exposed to sick cats. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026 Dogs still dominate America — roughly 71 million households have dogs compared with 53 million that own cats — but that is changing quickly. — Robert Granader, Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cats
Noun
  • Maggie Yenchick, the nonprofit's assistant medical coordinator, answered the call to foster the three kittens.
    — Megan Shinn, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • In 2013, Spagis and her wife, Ivy, moved from Canada to South Los Angeles, where a stray cat and her kittens appeared in their backyard.
    — Meg Dunn, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • National polling consistently shows that between 75-80% of voting Americans oppose biological males competing in women’s sports.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The suspects are described as Black males between the ages of 16 and 20 with a thin to medium build who were wearing all black clothing, ski masks and red gloves with black palms, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • There are store cats everywhere that are hanging around, and the store kitties are very friendly.
    — Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • Owners looking to adopt one of these sweet kitties should be prepared to give them their attention, and lots of it.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Noun
  • This is a season so overwhelmingly dull that it’s taken three different gay guys to recap it.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2 manga laid the groundwork for some of the genre's most enduring tropes (gender switching, horny old guys, tournaments), and this is the second anime adaptation, this time from Studio MAPPA.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Also, wildlife and nuisance-animal trappers can be hired to humanely trap and relocate the felines.
    — Michael L. Hyman, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Among the creatures depicted in the artwork were birds, fish, felines and figures drawn from mythology.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the decidedly forgettable experience of falling for a phishing scam—or in this case, the simulation of one.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This, ladies and gentlemen, is what’s known in the editing bay as foreshadowing.
    — Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • While Star Wars might be known for laser swords and space wizards, it's always been about weird little dudes doing even weirder things.
    — Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Even as Swift shines in the light of holy matrimony, there are still plenty of lame dudes out there for Taylor to crush across three-minute pop masterstrokes — and, God-willing, there always will be.
    — Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cats. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!