rustled; rustling
ˈrə-s(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to make or cause a rustle
2
a
: to act or move with energy or speed
b
: to forage food
3
: to steal cattle
1
: to cause to rustle
2
a
: to obtain by one's own exertions
—often used with up
… able to rustle up $5,000 bail …—
Jack McCallum
Jack McCallum
b
: forage
3
: to steal (livestock) especially from a farm or ranch
: a quick succession or confusion of small sounds
Examples of rustle in a Sentence
Verb
The trees rustled in the wind.
Her skirt rustled as she walked.
He rustled the papers on his desk.
Noun
He heard a rustle of leaves behind him.
Recent Examples on the Web
Eva Frederick, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026
Between flower plantings, grow ornamental grasses that rustle with the wind or shrubs that produce fruit.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 Apr. 2026
Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 19 Mar. 2026
There’s something almost spiritual about walking among these giants—the cool air, the rustle of leaves, and the quiet hum of nature.
—Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rustle
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Verb
End your drive with a stay at Chinati Hot Springs, and soak in the steaming springwater beneath rustling cottonwoods and the glittering expanse of Texas stars.
—Eva Frederick, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026
Between flower plantings, grow ornamental grasses that rustle with the wind or shrubs that produce fruit.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
Everything is quiet apart from the rustle of leaves and the gentle murmur of voices from the bar.
—Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 19 Mar. 2026
There’s something almost spiritual about walking among these giants—the cool air, the rustle of leaves, and the quiet hum of nature.
—Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rustle
Cite this Entry
“Rustle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rustle. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rustle
1 of 2 verb
rus·tle
ˈrəs-əl
rustled; rustling
ˈrəs-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to make or cause to make a rustle
2
: to act or move with energy
3
: to steal (as cattle) from the range
rustle
2 of 2 noun
: a quick series of small sounds
the rustle of leaves
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