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
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Recent Examples of rankle
He was rankled by Miami being behind the Irish.
—
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Dec. 2025
But that, of course, rankled the building's neighbors, as did the lights filling the sky each night.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
As with all circuits, driver safety is going to be the priority, even if that does mean extra track works that could rankle some locals.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2025
Even as the White House’s proposal remains in flux, the notion of extending any part of President Barack Obama’s signature legislative achievement is likely to rankle conservatives who have sought to repeal and replace the law for well over a decade.
—Seung Min Kim, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rankle
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Dec. 2025
But that, of course, rankled the building's neighbors, as did the lights filling the sky each night.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Dec. 2025
As with all circuits, driver safety is going to be the priority, even if that does mean extra track works that could rankle some locals.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2025
Even as the White House’s proposal remains in flux, the notion of extending any part of President Barack Obama’s signature legislative achievement is likely to rankle conservatives who have sought to repeal and replace the law for well over a decade.
—Seung Min Kim, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rankle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankle
Verb
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Some other unconventional methods include steaming the fabric to soften the threads and then stretch, as well as wetting the garment and then pining it down at the correct size, like how crocheters stretch out granny squares.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
15 Jan. 2026
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Our Test Kitchen used a thin, 12-inch cast-iron skillet and the high heat transferred well in this pan and allowed for some charring, but also steaming due to the high volume.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The development appears to have infuriated the center’s interim president, MAGA loyalist Richard Grenell.—
Brian Niemietz,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Trump’s blunt warnings have infuriated the country’s leaders, who have since doubled down on crushing the protests.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When the sun goes down, three beams of light will illuminate the sky over the town that was, piercing the darkness that this time last year was lit with the unholy glow of a fire raging, with no end in sight.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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That winter, the concrete spillway collapsed in one section during massive storms, prompting the evacuation of 188,000 people as water raged uncontrolled into the river below, and concerns grew that part of the dam might fail.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With an economy that is persistently reliant on crude, pursuing policies that raise energy costs risks angering constituents.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
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The board instead approved a resolution to reexamine current campus spaces, angering some parents.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Supervisor Kathryn Barger's office, which represents the Eaton Fire burn scar communities, said she has been briefed by the EPA on the soil testing efforts.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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The fires started just hours apart and burned for a month, killing 31 people and destroying more than 16,000 buildings across the county.—
Sarah Alegre,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Starting over with a new coach or general manager right now takes contender off the table, and judging by the support thrown behind the head coach, would enrage Burrow in the process.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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Jensen’s father, David Jensen, was enraged by McIntyre’s not guilty plea.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Its carbon steel boils water quickly, while retaining heat.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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Distilled water is water that has been boiled, causing the water molecules to return to a gaseous state and then condense back into liquid.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There is no sound, and Helen begins to get annoyed.—
Sadia Shepard,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
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Luis is frankly annoyed by this type of music.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rankle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankle. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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