rumor

noun ru·mor \ ˈrü-mər \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Examples: rumor in a Sentence

Definition of rumor

1 : talk or opinion widely disseminated with no discernible source

2 : a statement or report current without known authority for its truth

3 archaic : talk or report of a notable person or event

4 : a soft low indistinct sound : murmur

See rumor defined for English-language learners

See rumor defined for kids

Examples of rumor in a Sentence

There are rumors that they are making a new film.
She accused him of starting rumors about her.
Ever since his sudden resignation, rumors have been flying.
I heard a rumor that they broke up.
“Did you hear that they broke up?” “That's just a rumor.”
The rumor turned out to be false.
You can't fire him solely based on rumor.
Rumor has it that they broke up.

Recent Examples of rumor from the Web

Plus, there are rumors of new entries in the Just Cause and Life Is Strange series.

— chaim gartenberg, The Verge, "How to follow every keynote at E3 2018," 8 June 2018
Every new loss brought more speculation that everyone was sick of each other, and obviously, there were always LeBron rumors.

— andrew sharp, SI.com, "The Rodney Hood Game and The Strange Joys of the Doomed Cavs," 7 June 2018
There are rumors that there will be some sort of announcement of an end to the war between North and South Korea, attended by South Korean President Moon Jai-in (the 1953 war ended with a U.N. armistice).

— trudy rubin, Philly.com, "Trump-Kim summit: What to watch for when they meet in Singapore | Trudy Rubin," 6 June 2018
There are several rumors out there that the Mavericks are interested in signing the University of Kentucky product.

— peter dawson, star-telegram, "How will Julius Randle impact the Mavericks NBA Draft plans and how much will he cost?," 5 June 2018
There are even rumors that Windows itself may ultimately go open source.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "Microsoft Is Buying GitHub: What Does That Mean?," 4 June 2018
There were also rumors floating around that Disick had cheated on Richie.

— maggie burch, Glamour, "Welp, the Kardashians Won't Be Throwing Shade at Scott Disick and Sofia Richie Anymore," 3 June 2018
Are these rumors that Peyton Manning used HGH true?

— nick canepa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "It’s just baffling why so many see LeBron as such a villain," 2 June 2018
There were rumors in Hollywood for years about Weinstein's pursuit of young actresses.

— tom hays, USA TODAY, "Lawyer: Weinstein had long relationship with rape accuser," 29 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rumor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of rumor

Middle English rumour, from Anglo-French, from Latin rumor clamor, gossip; akin to Old English rēon to lament, Sanskrit rauti he roars

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

rumor Synonyms

Synonyms

buzz, dish, gossip, hearsay, report, scuttlebutt, talk, tattle, word;

Related Words

tale, whisper, whispering;

hint, intimation, rumbling;

propaganda;

dirt, scandal;

rumor

verb

Definition of rumor

rumored; rumoring

transitive verb

: to tell or spread by rumor

Examples of rumor in a Sentence

for years people have been rumoring the CEO's imminent retirement

Recent Examples of rumor from the Web

With a valuation of about $1 billion, it was rumored to be contemplating an initial public offering of stock as recently as 2014.

— janelle nanos, BostonGlobe.com, "Rival flash sale sites Gilt, Rue La La to team up," 4 June 2018
Their style would also work very well at NXT, where they are rumored to sign.

— justin barrasso, SI.com, "Week in Wrestling: John Cena on What Made WrestleMania 34 Special, His New Animated Series," 30 May 2018
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex currently live in the two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, but they're rumored to upgrade to a 21-bedroom apartment on palace grounds, which is currently under construction.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly Leased a New Home in the Romantic Countryside," 30 May 2018
Another holdover is Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, who kept his seat even though he long was rumored to be on his way out.

— Washington Post, "Putin approves new Cabinet that sees key figures remain," 18 May 2018
Some critics of Fox’s decision were particularly dismayed by its timing, as it was rumored then that Last Man Standing might get a revival from the network.

— laura bradley, HWD, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine Takes a Victory Lap at NBC as Fox Touts Tim Allen," 14 May 2018
The staffers there probably get their hopes up every time it's rumored that the Portland Public Schools headquarters might move to a nicer, updated facility.

— john canzano, OregonLive.com, "Canzano: MLB stadium opportunity should not paralyze Portland Public Schools Board," 30 Apr. 2018
Watch Now: Sebastian Stan Suits Up It's rumored that a bunch of the old-guard Marvel characters will die in Avengers: Infinity War—although probably not Stan's Bucky Barnes, who now seems set to inherit the franchise spotlight.

— zach baron, GQ, "Avengers’ Sebastian Stan Suits Up—and Is Happy to Take a Backseat," 26 Apr. 2018
By the late-1970s, many teams were using the late-game tactic (sometimes against Smith’s North Carolina teams) and it was rumored for years that the game would adapt the 30-second shot clock, which was the international standard.

— chris chase, For The Win, "6 of the most-asked sports questions, answered," 18 Apr. 2018