RANKLE Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

rankle

verb

ˈraŋ-kəl

Definition of rankle

as in to steam

to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger that kind of rude treatment from a young person makes me rankle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to infuriate

to make angry it rankles me when some schools can't even afford paper and pencils for the students

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of rankle Upon taking over as chairman, Tom Pohlad insisted the club needed to atone for a series of mistakes made by ownership over 2 1/2 years that rankled fans and players alike. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Sure, the upcoming move from Missouri to Kansas still rankles fans. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026 When Epstein’s appointment was announced, his political leanings – his cover letter for the role laid out an explicitly conservative vision – as well as his relative lack of experience rankled many FIU law faculty members. — Austin Horn july 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026 That data wasn’t always included in the FDA scientists’ presentations — a decision that rankled some committee members. — Sara G. Miller, NBC news, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rankle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankle

Verb

Each bite was unique — a pocket of cold sour cream here, the cheese only partially melted there, the last crisp cry of the ever-steaming French fries yonder.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
The kitchen steams between 1,500 and 1,800 of three varieties every night at Adams Morgan’s 11-year-old Afghan hot spot.

— Warren Rojas, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of steam

Verb

The White House’s abrupt decision last week to ease tariffs on 300,000 metric tons — more than 660 million pounds — of foreign beef imports has infuriated American cattle ranchers and congressional Republicans alike.

— Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
The heated rhetoric has infuriated and astonished most Canadians; in a recent poll, seventy-six per cent supported the decision of the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, to walk away from trade talks with Washington.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of infuriate

Verb

The deadly multistate outbreak, linked to iceberg lettuce, has raged on this summer.

— Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
With wars still raging in the Middle East and Ukraine — and turbulence escalating globally — artists on the film festival circuit have been navigating political minefields.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of rage

Verb

That angered Michigan Democrats who were frustrated with El-Sayed, and brought Jeffries and other Democrats into the fray, putting the candidate El-Sayed had invested the most in on the defensive.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
The president is defending the data center boom as GOP officials across the country turn against projects that have angered voters.

— Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of anger

Verb

State Assembly Member John Harabedian, who represents Altadena, where the Eaton Fire killed 19 people and burned about 9,400 homes and structures, authored one of the bills passed this week.

— Evan Bush, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
The Soviet Union was an archetypal fragile superpower, its red star burning bright before its dramatic final implosion.

— Ben Bland, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of burn

Verb

The hiring of the Catalan content creator, however, has only served to enrage the public, rather than enticing them to watch the race.

— Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
The comment at a rally last Sunday titillated, provoked and enraged different audiences simultaneously, all but guaranteeing saturation news coverage and even more attention.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of enrage

Browse Nearby Words

rankings

rankle

rankled

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“Rankle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankle. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rankle

verb

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