rumbled; rumbling
ˈrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to make a low heavy rolling sound or series of sounds
thunder rumbling in the distance
My stomach was rumbling.
2
: to travel with a low reverberating sound
wagons rumbled into town
3
: to speak in a low rolling tone
4
US, informal + old-fashioned
: to fight especially in the street
1
: to utter or emit in a low rolling voice
"That is a sure prophecy," rumbled a deep voice.—
Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling2
British
: to reveal or discover the true character of
… had long ago rumbled her … excuses.—Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith1
a
: a low heavy continuous reverberating often muffled sound (as of thunder)
b
: low frequency noise in phonographic playback caused by the transmission of mechanical vibrations by the turntable to the pickup
2
: a seat for servants behind the body of a carriage
3
a
: widespread expression of dissatisfaction or unrest
b
US, informal + old-fashioned
: a street fight especially among gangs
Examples of rumble in a Sentence
Verb
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
The train rumbles through town twice a day.
We watched as the trucks rumbled past.
The gangs rumbled in the alley.
Noun
I was awakened by the rumble of a train passing by.
Recent Examples on the Web
Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Beyond the housing units that concealed this bloody event, a truck rumbled along the road, a basketball bounced, children squealed, the sounds foreign, from another world.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
This mobile bar crisscrosses the room’s checkerboard floor with the growling rumble of a subway train.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rumble
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Verb
With his long, bushy beard, hair down to his shoulders, and a voice that can rumble walls, there’s really no mistaking Jamey Johnson.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Beyond the housing units that concealed this bloody event, a truck rumbled along the road, a basketball bounced, children squealed, the sounds foreign, from another world.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
His voice is a rich baritone, like a rumble coming from deep inside a mountain.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
This mobile bar crisscrosses the room’s checkerboard floor with the growling rumble of a subway train.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rumble
Cite this Entry
“Rumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rumble. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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