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

On April 17th, the Los Angeles Times’s Pat Broeske wrote up the first public rumblings of discontent from Christian leaders. —Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026

The labor dynamics in the time of the dawn of the radio, the expansion of the electrical grid, and the early rumblings of mass consumerism are far different from the economics of the AI age. —Jake Angelo, Fortune, 29 May 2026

After months of rumblings that Costco will turn its midtown Kansas City warehouse into a business center, city documents show that plan is moving forward. —Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026

Coast to Coast 🤫 Pierre LeBrun is back with a new rumblings column. —Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 26 May 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