rumbling

noun

rum·​bling ˈrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 

1

: rumble

2

: general but unofficial talk or opinion often of dissatisfaction

—usually used in plural

… rumblings of political trouble …

—Anthony Burgess

Examples of rumbling in a Sentence

There were rumblings about rising prices.

Recent Examples on the Web

But then over here, rumblings about the future of the company and people worrying what does this mean not only for themselves but for the prospects of Rolling Stone, which is a life mantra and mission that people came from all over the world to be a part of. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 14 Feb. 2026

Yet very real rumblings among the handpicked board and outside pressures come as Wasserman is working the phones and personal power-player relationships in hyperdrive in attempts to mitigate the Epstein fallout. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026

The early rumblings of that fallout have already bubbled to the surface in some states. —Jake Angelo, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026

But amid anecdotal struggles to share the sidewalk, there is a growing movement to slow the robot rollout, including petition drives, residential meetings and rumblings of political pressure to reexamine the pilot program. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rumbling

• bumbling
• crumbling
• fumbling
• grumbling
• humbling
• mumbling
• stumbling
• tumbling