rankle

verb

ˈraŋ-kəl How to pronounce rankle (audio)
Definition of ranklenext
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

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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 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 Lonnie is loud, obnoxious, and vulgar in ways that rankle traditional golfers. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026 But the guard rankled at the July 6 decision to pull her out of the starting lineup, blasting the move on social media and doubling down in an ensuing media availability in Phoenix. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026 The absence of any Greek actors in the principal cast of The Odyssey has rankled many who had hoped for prominent Greek representation in a foundational work of Greek literature. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rankle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankle
  1. steam
  2. infuriate
  3. rage
  4. anger
  5. burn
  6. enrage
  7. boil
  8. annoy
Verb
  • The series left Netflix at the end of June (A Year in the Life remains available there) and currently steams on Hulu and Prime Video.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes holding a dispenser over a steaming hot beverage can cause condensation to form around the pouring spout.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of steam
Verb
  • But some one-time backers have been infuriated by his support last month for a law that would prevent the arrest of ultra-Orthodox Jews for avoiding the military draft.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The trade infuriated fans and likely delighted the MLB executives and owners who are thirsty to implement a hard salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement.
    — Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of infuriate
Verb
  • In Croatia, 14 people were hospitalized, of whom seven remained in life-threatening condition early Friday from a fire that raged overnight by the coastal town of Omis and forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate their homes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The director recalls being selected for the first edition of the event in 1995, when the Bosnian War was still raging, and Sarajevo remained under siege.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of rage
Verb
  • The two women who won jury trials in their lawsuits against the county are angered that the county has opted to appeal.
    — Sean Emery, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Public backlash is prompting San Diego to reopen 13 restrooms in Mission Bay Park this Friday after a six-week closure during the heart of summer that angered city residents and tourists.
    — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of anger
Verb
  • Washoe County Sheriff's Office Now combined, the Fred Mountain Fire and the Bug Fire have burned more than 57,000 acres with no containment as of Tuesday night, according to fire officials.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • On the image-generation front, Google is burning tokens like never before.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of burn
Verb
  • North Carolina and Bill Belichick got zero, no doubt enraging girlfriend Jordon Hudson.
    — Greg Cote August 2, Miami Herald, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Fauci pleaded the Fifth a number of times, which appears to have enraged a lot of people.
    — Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 31 July 2026
Definition of enrage
Verb
  • Stir into the boiling milk and boil on low heat until thick, stirring all the time.
    — David Morgan, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • To counteract that, the oil needs to be heated so that when the water inevitably hits it, the water will boil and evaporate right away.
    — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of boil
Verb
  • At the Glenn-Mills trial in Los Angeles, Meta attorneys repeatedly hammered witnesses about the lack of a listing — at times appearing to annoy jurors and test the patience of the court.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
  • During his last visit to Tehran in 2012, Aryan Diba enjoyed the sweeping hospitality of the city, but was annoyed when he and a group of friends were disrupted by local authorities while talking to a group of women at a local fast food joint.
    — Colin Wrenn, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of annoy

Browse Nearby Words

rankings
rankle
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Cite this Entry

“Rankle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankle. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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