Rat Out

Pronunciation: /ræt aʊt/

Definitions of rat out

verb to inform on or betray someone, especially to the authorities

Example Sentences

A1 I saw my friend rat out on his classmates for cheating on the test.

A2 The little boy didn't want to rat out his brother for breaking the vase.

B1 She decided to rat out her coworker for stealing office supplies.

B2 The witness was afraid to rat out the criminal to the police.

C1 The whistleblower bravely decided to rat out the corrupt organization.

C2 He was pressured to rat out his colleagues in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Examples of rat out in a Sentence

formal He threatened to rat out his colleagues if they didn't confess to their wrongdoings.

informal I can't believe you're going to rat me out to the teacher for skipping class.

slang Don't be a snitch and rat out your friends for breaking the rules.

figurative She felt like her own mind was trying to rat her out by revealing her deepest fears.

Grammatical Forms of rat out

• past tense: ratted out
• plural: rat out
• comparative: more rat out
• superlative: most rat out
• present tense: rat out
• future tense: will rat out
• perfect tense: have ratted out
• continuous tense: is ratting out
• singular: rats out
• positive degree: rat out
• infinitive: to rat out
• gerund: ratting out
• participle: ratted out

Origin and Evolution of rat out

First Known Use: 1920 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The term 'rat out' originated in American slang, likely derived from the behavior of rats being associated with betrayal or informing on others.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in the context of informing on someone or revealing their secrets, the term 'rat out' has evolved to encompass any act of betrayal or disloyalty.