RANKLE Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

rankle

verb

ˈraŋ-kəl

Definition of rankle

as in to steam

to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger that kind of rude treatment from a young person makes me rankle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to infuriate

to make angry it rankles me when some schools can't even afford paper and pencils for the students

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 rankle The fact that Carruth has been a free man since 2018 still rankles some who were involved in the case. — Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026 All this will rankle many, particularly young people, who are less likely to own their own homes and whose support for the monarchy is already in decline. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 14 June 2026 While this might rankle a certain type of science fiction reader who expects rigorous world building and a straightforward plot, Unferth’s playfulness injects new life into some trusty old tropes that have calcified into clichés. — Literary Hub, 11 June 2026 Armenia also played host to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a move that further rankled the Kremlin, especially because Pashinyan and Zelensky held talks in English, rather than in Russian, the old Soviet lingua franca. — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rankle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankle

Verb

Its shot-of-steam, spray, vertical-steaming and self-cleaning features were also tested.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 21 July 2026
Manila clams are woven into Italian cuisine, tossed in pasta or served steamed.

— Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026

Definition of steam

Verb

Speaking to them on the phone is infuriating since most of the conversation is about what’s going on with Kaden.

— Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
A week before Wembanyama agreed to that contract, the Boston Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the division-rival Philadelphia 76ers for a surprisingly meager package, which infuriated much of their fanbase.

— Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of infuriate

Verb

Massive forest fires have forced the evacuation of some 200,000 people in southwestern France and central Spain, with residents fleeing towns near Madrid and Bordeaux on Friday as flames raged out of control.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
The Ukrainian attacks on the sprawling Russian warehouses produced stark images, with massive pillars of black smoke rising above fires that raged at facilities of Wildberries, the country’s biggest online retailer and its equivalent of Amazon.

— Dasha Litvinova, Fortune, 24 July 2026

Definition of rage

Verb

Pierre, a first-generation immigrant from Haiti, said he’s enraged by the deaths and sees them as a reminder that any situation could hit close to home.

— Sara-James Ranta, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
When Odysseus meets Sinon’s ghost — enraged by the circumstances of his death outside Troy — at the entrance to the underworld during his voyage home, Sinon warns Odysseus of the dangers his family faces back in Ithaca.

— Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026

Definition of enrage

Verb

In her album, Jenny Sweet portrays them as mothers angry at how humans have warmed their waters, turning them into lobsters in a pot being boiled alive by climate change.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
Last year, a bison tragically boiled to death after stumbling into one of Yellowstone's hot springs.

— Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of boil

Verb

To make matters worse, the team also polled people on what behaviors annoy them most about other beachgoers.

— Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 19 July 2026
Of course, this would depend on whether the managers choose to pick their strongest teams in what for some is a meaningless, even annoying extra fixture, for squads who just want to go home.

— Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 18 July 2026

Definition of annoy

Browse Nearby Words

rankings

rankle

rankled

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“Rankle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankle. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of rankle

verb

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