rattle around
verb
rattled around; rattling around; rattles around
informal
: to live or spend time in a place that is very big
Her husband died last year, and now she's just rattling around in that huge house by herself.
We rattled around Europe last summer.
—sometimes used figurativelyAn old song has been rattling around in my head all day.
Examples of rattle around in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No matter what’s rattling around in Peter’s brain, his bandmates are ready to play around with its cinematic potential by whipping up a DIY batter of post-punk and no-wave idiosyncrasies.
—
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
Widowed, heartbroken, and left rattling around the house her own father built (the film has a real sense of place, both out in the town and inside the aquarium and Tova’s home), Tova is preparing to decamp for a luxe retirement home across the bay.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
Empty Jameson bottles and Pabst Blue Ribbon cans rattled around the lounges.
—Cree Lefavour, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
This question has rattled around in thousands of runners’ brains throughout January, due to an eccentric athletic competition.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 30 Jan. 2026
What sets this bag apart is the interior mesh zippered pocket that can keep your keys or cards from rattling around inside all day, as well as its handles, which are made with a durable fabric rather than faux leather.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2026
There's really nothing pretty about a boxy hunk of aluminum jutting out of a pickup bed or rattling around behind the main vehicle.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
While the trader's identity remains a mystery, speculation continues to rattle around the internet about whether the person had insider information.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 Jan. 2026
This is the age-old predicament that rattles around my brain during the holidays.
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 17 Dec. 2025
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Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026
Widowed, heartbroken, and left rattling around the house her own father built (the film has a real sense of place, both out in the town and inside the aquarium and Tova’s home), Tova is preparing to decamp for a luxe retirement home across the bay.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
Empty Jameson bottles and Pabst Blue Ribbon cans rattled around the lounges.
—Cree Lefavour, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
This question has rattled around in thousands of runners’ brains throughout January, due to an eccentric athletic competition.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 30 Jan. 2026
What sets this bag apart is the interior mesh zippered pocket that can keep your keys or cards from rattling around inside all day, as well as its handles, which are made with a durable fabric rather than faux leather.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2026
There's really nothing pretty about a boxy hunk of aluminum jutting out of a pickup bed or rattling around behind the main vehicle.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
While the trader's identity remains a mystery, speculation continues to rattle around the internet about whether the person had insider information.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 Jan. 2026
This is the age-old predicament that rattles around my brain during the holidays.
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 17 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rattle around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rattle%20around. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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