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 WebSophie Yun Mancini, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2024
The fact that the freshman with bouncy blond curls is the first male member of the Trojan Dance Force evaporates in a symphony of stomping feet and rustling pompoms.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024
Brace yourself for some intoxicating shades of blue and the sounds of wind rustling through the surrounding mangrove forests.
—Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2024
Featuring dangling pendants formed of emerald beads, white brilliant diamond drops and black diamond beads, these glittering gems rustle with the precious hush of luxury.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Sargent loved color, satin, and silk, too, and favored crisp, rustling taffeta.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 11 Jan. 2024
For example, Vermont limited turbine sound levels to 45 decibels at night – somewhere between rustling leaves and a household dishwasher.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
There’s music in the form of a groaning score, as well as a smattering of noises—faint whispers, rustling leaves—that can be heard through the discordant notes.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2023
On an overcast day, the forest, a bumpy 15-mile drive from the state capital of Shillong, was tranquil but for the sound of crickets chirping and raindrops rustling the bright green foliage.
—Deepa Bharath, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2024
Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024
Heavy gold jewelry encircled her neck and wrists and dangled from her nose and earlobes, so that every movement created a tinkling rustle of metal against metal.
—Amanda Taub, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2023
Imagine waking up to the gentle rustle of leaves and the tranquil symphony of birdsong, knowing that this little slice of paradise is all yours.
—Sharon Naukam, Dallas News, 13 Aug. 2023
There was the thwap of the crossbow string, a hollow thud of the arrow hitting home, and then the fading rustle of the buck running off through the grass.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 3 Aug. 2023
Had Caius kissed his mother’s hand like that, and did her dress rustle so for Caius?… Continue reading for just $1 an issue!
—Gary Saul Morson, The New York Review of Books, 1 June 2023
As with all buckwheat pillows, some reviewers note that the hulls can be a bit noisy, but others find the crunchy rustle to be comforting white noise.
—Good Housekeeping, 5 July 2023
The emerald-green canopy shifts and rustles as a troop of willowy, golden-gray monkeys slides through a tropical ecosystem more threatened than the Amazon.
—Diarlei Rodrigues and Diane Jeantet, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2023
The trees on Oak Street rustle in the breeze as people roam from one end of the street to the other, from north of the water tower to the south, ending at the new City Hall — all 30,000 square feet of it, with its sweeping staircase, clock tower and intricate tilework in the restrooms.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2022
Verb
For the bend of her arms, the rustling trail of her dress, the color of that silk—like a woman bleeding out.
—Sophie Yun Mancini, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2024
The fact that the freshman with bouncy blond curls is the first male member of the Trojan Dance Force evaporates in a symphony of stomping feet and rustling pompoms.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024
Brace yourself for some intoxicating shades of blue and the sounds of wind rustling through the surrounding mangrove forests.
—Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2024
Featuring dangling pendants formed of emerald beads, white brilliant diamond drops and black diamond beads, these glittering gems rustle with the precious hush of luxury.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Sargent loved color, satin, and silk, too, and favored crisp, rustling taffeta.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 11 Jan. 2024
For example, Vermont limited turbine sound levels to 45 decibels at night – somewhere between rustling leaves and a household dishwasher.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
There’s music in the form of a groaning score, as well as a smattering of noises—faint whispers, rustling leaves—that can be heard through the discordant notes.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2023
On an overcast day, the forest, a bumpy 15-mile drive from the state capital of Shillong, was tranquil but for the sound of crickets chirping and raindrops rustling the bright green foliage.
—Deepa Bharath, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2024
Noun
At first, the signs were subtle—a faint scratching in the walls, the occasional rustle in the attic.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024
Heavy gold jewelry encircled her neck and wrists and dangled from her nose and earlobes, so that every movement created a tinkling rustle of metal against metal.
—Amanda Taub, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2023
Imagine waking up to the gentle rustle of leaves and the tranquil symphony of birdsong, knowing that this little slice of paradise is all yours.
—Sharon Naukam, Dallas News, 13 Aug. 2023
There was the thwap of the crossbow string, a hollow thud of the arrow hitting home, and then the fading rustle of the buck running off through the grass.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 3 Aug. 2023
Had Caius kissed his mother’s hand like that, and did her dress rustle so for Caius?… Continue reading for just $1 an issue!
—Gary Saul Morson, The New York Review of Books, 1 June 2023
As with all buckwheat pillows, some reviewers note that the hulls can be a bit noisy, but others find the crunchy rustle to be comforting white noise.
—Good Housekeeping, 5 July 2023
The emerald-green canopy shifts and rustles as a troop of willowy, golden-gray monkeys slides through a tropical ecosystem more threatened than the Amazon.
—Diarlei Rodrigues and Diane Jeantet, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2023
The trees on Oak Street rustle in the breeze as people roam from one end of the street to the other, from north of the water tower to the south, ending at the new City Hall — all 30,000 square feet of it, with its sweeping staircase, clock tower and intricate tilework in the restrooms.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2022
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 18 Apr. 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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