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 The essay follows the yearslong debate over AI’s place within the creative industry, which has further rankled people after AI company leaders acknowledged the tools may slip out of human control. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026 Across the litigation, Paramount had been rankled that the government and dozens of foreign regulators cleared the purchase. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026 The secrecy around the project rankled; even though almost a quarter of it is owned by Albanian businessmen, their names are hidden in an offshore corporation. — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 The Recon’s range will rankle some, but, honestly, the same complaints can be made about the fuel economy and driving range of the most capable internal combustion off-roaders. — Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rankle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankle

Verb

Channel 4’s website doesn’t currently offer any episodes for steaming on demand.

— Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 5 Nov. 2026
Kitchens with Vietnamese roots began dishing up teriyaki alongside steaming bowlfuls of pho.

— Allecia Vermillion, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of steam

Verb

In the latest installment of his series Out of Pocket, Out of Reach, STAT’s Bob Herman explains this evolving tactic in the raging war over out-of-network bills.

— Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 11 Nov. 2026
Similarly, a battle raged among lawmakers at the state and federal levels who wanted to regulate and tax the product, and those who wanted to ban it.

— Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of rage

Verb

The downfall of his predecessor, longtime Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan, began with women angered by his handling of #MeToo incidents involving his campaign and government staff in 2017 and 2018.

— Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
But others, particularly in Missouri, have been concerned and angered to see that their bills will soon go up, the second price hike for this year.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of anger

Verb

Pike, 50, survived two doses of pentobarbital in September, which her attorneys say probably did not enter her bloodstream correctly and instead pooled in her arms, leaving them burned and blistered.

— CBS News, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
From waste to carbon Waste incineration plants produce CO2 while burning residual waste in order to generate electricity.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of burn

Verb

This thrilled hardcore Journey fans, but enraged the other members of the group.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026
After the release of the Pentagon Papers, which was a secret history of the Vietnam War compiled by figures in the Johnson administration, Richard Nixon is enraged.

— Dustin DeSoto, Vox, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of enrage

Verb

Back at camp, the percolator hadn’t even started boiling when another herd came over the far ridgeline, headed right for that creek.

— Tyler Freel, Outdoor Life, 10 Nov. 2026
Add 2 tablespoons of the salt, and bring to a boil over high; boil until potatoes are tender when pierced using a fork, 12 to 15 minutes; drain.

— Elizabeth Mervosh, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of boil

Verb

Raymond Lopez, alderman of Chicago’s 15th Ward, told the station that the other driver appeared to be annoyed about something that happened several blocks back.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2026
Studio executives who annoyed her might find their films receiving tepid coverage.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of annoy

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 13 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of rankle

verb

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