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
Synonyms
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 WebSarah Sekula, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2024
Embedded in a lush slope of jungle, my villa peered over the glimmering bay below, the whole scene animated by butterflies, bird songs, and the treetop rustling of monkeys.
—Maria Yogoda, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 July 2024
Oren Peleg, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
Green onions and fried, battery crumbles of pork skin rustle and crunch against the teeth, and bites of the bowl’s single pork meatball bounce around the palate.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rustle 
Verb
Here, the fret of daily life disappears and is replaced with the sound of myna birds, wind rustling through palms, and alohas from staff members.
—Sarah Sekula, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2024
Embedded in a lush slope of jungle, my villa peered over the glimmering bay below, the whole scene animated by butterflies, bird songs, and the treetop rustling of monkeys.
—Maria Yogoda, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 July 2024
Noun
Baran pulled out his phone and captured the rustle of an equisetum patch.
—Oren Peleg, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
Green onions and fried, battery crumbles of pork skin rustle and crunch against the teeth, and bites of the bowl’s single pork meatball bounce around the palate.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rustle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rustle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Rustle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rustle. Accessed 15 Sep. 2024.
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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