rumbled; rumbling
ˈrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to make a low heavy rolling sound
thunder rumbling in the distance
2
: to travel with a low reverberating sound
wagons rumbled into town
3
: to speak in a low rolling tone
4
: to engage in a rumble
1
: to utter or emit in a low rolling voice
2
British
: to reveal or discover the true character of
1
a
: a low heavy continuous reverberating often muffled sound (as of thunder)
b
: low frequency noise in phonographic playback caused by the transmission of mechanical vibrations by the turntable to the pickup
2
: a seat for servants behind the body of a carriage
3
a
: widespread expression of dissatisfaction or unrest
b
: a street fight especially among gangs
Synonyms
Examples of rumble in a Sentence
Verb
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
The train rumbles through town twice a day.
We watched as the trucks rumbled past.
The gangs rumbled in the alley.
Noun
I was awakened by the rumble of a train passing by.
Recent Examples on the Web
Casey Clark, Parents, 17 Nov. 2023
The latest entry of the American series, Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), drops the association entirely in favor of comic book rumbles, with a fisticuffs-rich sequel planned.
—Asher Elbein, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023
But the demolition controversy continued to rumble through the courts.
—TIME, 11 Oct. 2023
While Williams and the passing game were largely inconsistent, Lloyd was a steadying force, rumbling downhill with reckless abandon.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2023
Target is ready to rumble and give Amazon’s October version of Prime Day — Prime Big Deal Days — a run for its money with its upcoming Circle Week sale.
—Ali Faccenda, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023
Gustavo Varela, Greater Lawrence — The sophomore rumbled for 132 yards and a trio of touchdowns on 14 carries for the Reggies in a 49-18 nonconference win over Hamilton-Wenham.
—Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2023
Every so often — usually once a day — a freight train rolls off a barge at Sunset Park and rumbles along the bottom of the weedy trench, headed north.
—Curbed, 13 Sep. 2023
Sony's Gamescom press conference in Cologne Germany is still a few hours away, but big announcements aren't made without large amounts of rumbling across the gaming press and retail sources.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 7 Nov. 2023
Geoffrey Morrison, wsj.com, 2 Nov. 2023
The singer, who has taken in Siriano's show from the front row before, arrived fashionably late surrounded by hulking bodyguards who escorted her to her seat amid a rumble of excitement from attendees.
—Anika Reed
usa Today, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023
An afternoon rumble of thunder may accompany a downpour or two.
—A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
The rumble of a mixing truck can be heard through the tent’s thin fabric, while a large group of ants hopes for a snack to fall to the ground on a nearby sidewalk.
—Diego Nicolás Argüello, Pitchfork, 2 Nov. 2023
Possessing a lower frequency to white noise and with a neutral, more organic feel, brown noise sounds similar to the steady fall of rain, or the low rumble of thunder.
—Georgia Day, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2023
The quietly ominous rumble at the start of Tesori’s score gives way to a chorus of fliers whose stentorian march morphs into a neo-Baroque fugue.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Any rumbles of thunder are most likely in eastern Massachusetts, including Boston.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 20 Oct. 2023
Then, a rumble of ominous thunder takes the pair in different directions – Bluey into playtime, and Chilli into a rush to yank the clothes off the line.
—Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Oct. 2023
See More
Verb
Aside from lights, your teen will appreciate the advanced features including three-way trigger locks and rumble motors to bring the game to life.
—Casey Clark, Parents, 17 Nov. 2023
The latest entry of the American series, Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), drops the association entirely in favor of comic book rumbles, with a fisticuffs-rich sequel planned.
—Asher Elbein, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023
But the demolition controversy continued to rumble through the courts.
—TIME, 11 Oct. 2023
While Williams and the passing game were largely inconsistent, Lloyd was a steadying force, rumbling downhill with reckless abandon.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2023
Target is ready to rumble and give Amazon’s October version of Prime Day — Prime Big Deal Days — a run for its money with its upcoming Circle Week sale.
—Ali Faccenda, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023
Gustavo Varela, Greater Lawrence — The sophomore rumbled for 132 yards and a trio of touchdowns on 14 carries for the Reggies in a 49-18 nonconference win over Hamilton-Wenham.
—Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2023
Every so often — usually once a day — a freight train rolls off a barge at Sunset Park and rumbles along the bottom of the weedy trench, headed north.
—Curbed, 13 Sep. 2023
Sony's Gamescom press conference in Cologne Germany is still a few hours away, but big announcements aren't made without large amounts of rumbling across the gaming press and retail sources.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 7 Nov. 2023
Noun
Low-frequency rumbles, such as aircraft engines, are significantly reduced, and even midrange frequencies are diminished to a surprising degree (though no noise-canceling headphones can fully silence voices, babies crying and other higher-frequency sounds).
—Geoffrey Morrison, wsj.com, 2 Nov. 2023
The singer, who has taken in Siriano's show from the front row before, arrived fashionably late surrounded by hulking bodyguards who escorted her to her seat amid a rumble of excitement from attendees.
—Anika Reed
usa Today, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023
An afternoon rumble of thunder may accompany a downpour or two.
—A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
The rumble of a mixing truck can be heard through the tent’s thin fabric, while a large group of ants hopes for a snack to fall to the ground on a nearby sidewalk.
—Diego Nicolás Argüello, Pitchfork, 2 Nov. 2023
Possessing a lower frequency to white noise and with a neutral, more organic feel, brown noise sounds similar to the steady fall of rain, or the low rumble of thunder.
—Georgia Day, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2023
The quietly ominous rumble at the start of Tesori’s score gives way to a chorus of fliers whose stentorian march morphs into a neo-Baroque fugue.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Any rumbles of thunder are most likely in eastern Massachusetts, including Boston.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN, 20 Oct. 2023
Then, a rumble of ominous thunder takes the pair in different directions – Bluey into playtime, and Chilli into a rush to yank the clothes off the line.
—Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rumble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English; akin to Middle High German rummeln to rumble
First Known Use
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of rumble was
in the 15th century
Phrases Containing rumble
Dictionary Entries Near rumble
Cite this Entry
“Rumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rumble. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on rumble
Nglish: Translation of rumble for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of rumble for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rumble
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