rattling 1 of 3

Definition of rattlingnext

rattling

2 of 3

adverb

rattling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of rattle
1
as in clattering
to make a series of short sharp noises the children tromped through the kitchen, making the plates on the shelf rattle

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
4

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 rattling
Adjective
With all these features and a unique design that eliminates all the rattling and imprecise grips of conventional wrenches, this tool could find frequent use in your workshop. New Atlas, 18 May 2026 And then there’s Bottner’s singing voice; from the deepest corner of his lungs comes a commanding bellow with a low, rattling timbre, like a cross between Bill Callahan and Jason Molina. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 22 Apr. 2026 Their play is a symphony of cheers and swishes, conversation and laughter, dribbling balls and rattling rims. Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026 But others, where relentless, shelter-soaking rain is the aggressor, are no less vivid and terrifying, amplified by the rattling, percussive intensity of extraordinary sound design by Lena Esquenazi, Valeria Mancheva and Antonio Porem. Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026 Other than visible dirt and dust, signs that your bathroom exhaust fan needs cleaning includes a rattling or buzzing sound, reduced airflow, or excess moisture along the walls. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2025 Here a number of the emigrants who arrived late were stowed away on a rattling floor of cane, covered with hides. Gary Kamiya, SFChronicle.com, 2 Oct. 2020
Verb
Considering the intangibles Braun brings, which includes getting the fans involved following his athletic, rim-rattling slam dunks, the team may avoid any temptation to trade Braun just to gain relief from his salary. Gary Bedore june 18, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026 Loosed of the wartime imperative to manufacture anti-aircraft guns and submarine torpedoes, factories were free to make bone-rattling dishwashers and mint-colored refrigerators. Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026 With line trucks rattling behind him, Lamont accused Eversource of having grown too comfortable with its ability to raise revenue from its customers in Connecticut, adding that state regulators need new tools to hold all utility companies accountable during requests for rate increases. John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026 The American crashed two aces to make it 40-15, before rattling another serve over the net that her opponent could only throw a racket at. Ben Church, CNN Money, 9 June 2026 Asset manager Schroders is buying Italian government bonds, arguing the country has already weathered the budget and political turmoil now rattling investors in other European nations and the US. Naomi Tajitsu, Bloomberg, 8 June 2026 The uncertainty is not only rattling European allies worried about the message being sent to Russia, but also risks hurting morale among American troops -- some of whom had their rotations canceled shortly before departure -- and comes as the Army budget is already strained. Arkansas Online, 6 June 2026 On social media, residents across the area described the earthquake jolting their homes and rattling windows and doors. William B. Davis, New York Times, 4 June 2026 Chatter of a screwworm detection had already been building this week, rattling the US cattle industry. ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rattling
Adjective
  • Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2026
  • Improvements in blood tests, meanwhile, dovetail with rapid developments in treatments for various cancers, making the disease ever more survivable or even curable.
    Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 22 June 2026
Adverb
  • Now, multiple residents are left worried about what's to come next week with extremely hot temperatures in the forecast.
    Heath Kalb, CBS News, 26 June 2026
  • Despite being the fourth largest economy in the world — the home of Hollywood and Silicon Valley — California’s budget is extremely dependent on the state’s most prosperous residents.
    Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Below them, clattering on a dozen parallel tracks, the trains were coming and going, arriving and departing, thundering underground.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
  • Skeletor is all pixels with a clattering jaw perfect for chewing the scenery.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • While chatting with Craig Melvin during a June 19 appearance on the Today show, the TV icon paused her interview to smack the anchor after a bold request.
    Lara Walsh, InStyle, 20 June 2026
  • Within minutes, the men, who ranged in age from 30 to 60, began chatting among themselves.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Throughout the latter two videos, Ivey spoke to the camera while driving his car and rambling through various evangelical talking points.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
  • This rambling 1,200-acre Southern California ranch has both and much more, plus a supremely private and scenic locale on the outskirts of the historic community of San Juan Capistrano.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The moms aren’t embarrassing their kids.
    Michelle Sobel, Fortune, 23 June 2026
  • Several other policy changes led to blowback from the public and Starmer was forced to make a series of embarrassing U-turns that provided political capital for opponents and fed beliefs that the prime minister didn’t stand for much.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • The 10 tracks of Ton Up are at once his briskest and heaviest yet, miniaturizing his trademark loops of Dillafied psychedelia into speaker-rattling sample snippets that bombard uptempo house beats in dizzying volleys.
    Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
  • And yes, back to where the story began, on a brisk night on a huge stage in downtown Detroit.
    Bob Wojnowski, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2026
Adverb
  • At age 34, this very well could be the final World Cup for the 2014 Golden Boot winner at the competition.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2026
  • Until very recently, children in West Texas public schools were punished, even beaten, for speaking Spanish; today bilingual education is thriving.
    Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rattling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rattling. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

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