clattered; clattering; clatters
1
: to make a rattling sound
the dishes clattered on the shelf
2
: to talk noisily or rapidly
3
: to move or go with a clatter
clattered down the stairs
: to cause to clatter
1
: a rattling sound (as of hard bodies striking together)
the clatter of pots and pans
2
: commotion
the midday clatter of the business district
3
: noisy chatter
Examples of clatter in a Sentence
Verb
The shutters clattered against the house.
He heard dishes clattering in the kitchen.
The box dropped and dozens of marbles clattered across the floor.
The wagon clattered down the road.
Noun
the clatter of a crowded cafeteria
Recent Examples on the Web
Tony Le Calvez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Nor any pebble clattering down the medieval stones, plinking into the tea- colored water.
—Ellen Bass, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
Just the check, the soft clatter of plates and that lingering smell of basil and coconut that follows you out the door.
—Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clatter
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Verb
The boom bap volume had been turned to LOUD, the crowd had mobbed every roof, railing and bit of space with even an inch of a view of the ramps, and with every cool trick came the thundering sound of skateboards clattering on the deck in approval from fellow skaters.
—Tony Le Calvez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Nor any pebble clattering down the medieval stones, plinking into the tea- colored water.
—Ellen Bass, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Noun
Experts refer that moment to conveying a picture, a moment often accentuated by the rhythmical clatter of two pieces of wood, which are like claves.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
Just the check, the soft clatter of plates and that lingering smell of basil and coconut that follows you out the door.
—Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clatter
Cite this Entry
“Clatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clatter. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clatter
1 of 2 verb
clat·ter
ˈklat-ər 
1
: to make or cause to make a rattling sound
2
: to move with a clatter
clatter
2 of 2 noun1
: a rattling sound (as of hard objects striking together)
the clatter of pots and pans
3
: noisy chatter
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