rat race

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

My mom and stepdad wanted a deeper connection with the earth and to get away from the rat race.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Yet the pressures - the ones that are pushing more Chinese youth to quit the rat race, "lie flat" and take their frustrations out online - remain.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

For this Money Talks, it’s time to turn the rat race into a rat walk on the beach.

From Slate • Oct. 1, 2024

Tangping, or “lying flat,” became a ubiquitous term for opting out of the rat race, not unlike the term “quiet quitting” in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2024

“Joey also wants you to know that he has dropped out of the rat race and has rejoined the human race.”

From "Fourth Grade Rats" by Jerry Spinelli