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rat out

verb

To inform authorities (about someone); to tell on (somebody).

“Don't you dare rat me out or I'll kill you!”

Similar

dob finger bewray blow the whistle clepe denounce dime dime out

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Meanings

verbrat out (third-person singular simple present rats out, present participle ratting out, simple past and past participle ratted out)

present singular third person rats out · participle present ratting out · participle past ratted out · past ratted out

derogatoryslangtransitiveTo inform authorities (about someone); to tell on (somebody).
Don't you dare rat me out or I'll kill you!
Synonyms: dob, finger, bewray, blow the whistle, clepe, denounce, dime, dime out

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo inform authorities (about someone); to tell on (somebody).

Similar

dob finger bewray blow the whistle clepe denounce dime dime out drop a dime drop a dime on someone fink fizgig inform inform on grass on grass up lolly up name names nark peach

Also see

canary drop a dime finger snitch tattle

Translations

Czech prásknout

prásknoutto inform authorities (about someone)

Finnish kieliä, ilmiantaa

kieliäto inform authorities (about someone)
ilmiantaato inform authorities (about someone)
vasikoidato inform authorities (about someone)

French dénoncer, balancer

dénoncerto inform authorities (about someone)
balancerto inform authorities (about someone)
bourdillerto inform authorities (about someone)

Greek καρφώνω

καρφώνω (karfóno)to inform authorities (about someone)

Italian denunciare

denunciareto inform authorities (about someone)

Polish wsypywać, wsypać

wsypywaćto inform authorities (about someone)
wsypaćto inform authorities (about someone)
wydawaćto inform authorities (about someone)
wydaćto inform authorities (about someone)
kablowaćto inform authorities (about someone)
nakablowaćto inform authorities (about someone)
zakablowaćto inform authorities (about someone)
podkablowywaćto inform authorities (about someone)
podkablowaćto inform authorities (about someone)
donosićto inform authorities (about someone)
donieśćto inform authorities (about someone)

Portuguese dedurar

dedurarto inform authorities (about someone)

Russian стуча́ть

стуча́ть (stučátʹ)to inform authorities (about someone)

Spanish delatar, ratear

delatarto inform authorities (about someone)
ratearto inform authorities (about someone)
ratiarto inform authorities (about someone)

Swedish gola på, tjalla på

gola påto inform authorities (about someone)
tjalla påto inform authorities (about someone)
angeto inform authorities (about someone)

Tagalog magsumbong, isumbong

magsumbongto inform authorities (about someone)
isumbongto inform authorities (about someone)
magsuplongto inform authorities (about someone)
isuplongto inform authorities (about someone)
kumantato inform authorities (about someone)
ikantato inform authorities (about someone)
maglaglagto inform authorities (about someone)
ilaglagto inform authorities (about someone)

Cite this entry

APA

rat out. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rat%20out

MLA

“rat out.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rat%20out. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rat out,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rat%20out.

Source: rat out on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.