1
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
2
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
That rankled Aviation administrators, who saw a potential problem with FAA rules if the money ever made it to CountryFest or the mayors’ conference.
—
Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
But while Loeb has often encouraged scientists to have an open mind about extraterrestrials, his theories and research have often rankled other astrophysicists in the field, who push back on some of his bolder claims.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
What rankles even more about 2025 is that, in other late-season swoons, the Mets have at least been tracked down by an adversary.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
DeGeneres’ career climb rankled Fulger, who was let go from the series, along with co-star Maggie Wheeler, when it was retooled after its first year on the air.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rankle
Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
But while Loeb has often encouraged scientists to have an open mind about extraterrestrials, his theories and research have often rankled other astrophysicists in the field, who push back on some of his bolder claims.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
What rankles even more about 2025 is that, in other late-season swoons, the Mets have at least been tracked down by an adversary.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
DeGeneres’ career climb rankled Fulger, who was let go from the series, along with co-star Maggie Wheeler, when it was retooled after its first year on the air.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rankle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankle
Verb
-
Acorn squash can be baked, roasted, or steamed for a tasty side dish.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Humidity often corrodes cables and steams camera lenses.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
That defeat denied Indianapolis a playoff appearance and infuriated the man in charge of it all.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The lack of details about the operations has infuriated members of Congress on both sides of the political spectrum.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Cost of living is raging, high-paying job opportunities are scarce, and layoffs are on the rise.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
-
There was such conflict raging within me.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Obama’s enthusiastic showings for both candidates was a test of whether his sway over the Democratic Party still remains after his support for Harris failed to boost her to the White House a year ago and angered black male voters who felt unfairly accused of sexism.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has angered many Americans by wearing masks while on duty, attacking peaceful protesters and arresting mostly people with no criminal record.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Walk out of a play’s shadows back into the clear light of day without a there to take with you, and even a burning cauldron will become little more than a brief candle.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Veg/cm/61 Fire has been burning on private land.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Schumer and nine other Senate Democrats voted to keep the government open back then, enraging Democrats who had wanted to use the pressure point to fight back against the administration.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
5 Nov. 2025
-
To further enrage Predator purists, Thia and Dek adopt a cuddly little monkey-ish creature as their companion, a CGI bit of whimsy seemingly borrowed from Pixar.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
They’re boiled and rolled in breadcrumbs browned in butter, topped with powdered sugar, and served warm.—
Irv Erdos,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Freeze extra for later, sans any pasta, which is better when freshly boiled.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
She’d been awakened by their puppy, and had been annoyed at Ryan, who hadn’t gotten up early with the dog like he was supposed to.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Kelce was evaluated for a concussion in the locker room, and he was annoyed at having to answer the questions that are part of the test.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rankle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankle. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share