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
Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Zinc roofs clattered lightly against each other in the wind, the only sound in the village.
—Pelumi Salako, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Eric Sullivan, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2026
Even the ordinary clatter of life seems to fall into rhythm with something sacred.
—Zeyneb Sayilgan, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clatter
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Verb
His father was a wheeler-dealer who lived by quick wits and the sweat of his brow, dabbling in bootlegged sake, swine farming, loan sharking, and later pachinko parlors—Japan’s ubiquitous low-stakes gambling game of clattering steel ball bearings.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Zinc roofs clattered lightly against each other in the wind, the only sound in the village.
—Pelumi Salako, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
German biathlete Justus Strelow watched his bronze clatter to the floor mid-victory-dance on live television.
—Eric Sullivan, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2026
Even the ordinary clatter of life seems to fall into rhythm with something sacred.
—Zeyneb Sayilgan, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 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 4 Mar. 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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