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
Still, the idea of France’s financial participation in a Cup race privately rankled some in the NASCAR garage before the deal was finalized, according to conversations with several high-ranking officials around the sport, and ultimately led France to table the idea.
—
Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 29 May 2025
For example, an email extolling the benefits of the new reimbursement software rankles the employees who are frustrated by yet another technology change.
—Rachel Pacheco, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
But that ruling has long rankled conservative legal theorists who argue it wrongly curtails the president’s power, and experts say the current conservative majority on the Supreme Court may be poised to overturn it.
—Lindsay Whitehurst and Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
This rankled several members of the Council, but matters really blew up on Thursday morning when flight tracking data of a Qatari private jet travelling from Doha — via Lagos in Nigeria — showed that Infantino appeared to still be in the air to Paraguay, delaying the Congress by three hours.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rankle
Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 29 May 2025
For example, an email extolling the benefits of the new reimbursement software rankles the employees who are frustrated by yet another technology change.
—Rachel Pacheco, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
But that ruling has long rankled conservative legal theorists who argue it wrongly curtails the president’s power, and experts say the current conservative majority on the Supreme Court may be poised to overturn it.
—Lindsay Whitehurst and Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
This rankled several members of the Council, but matters really blew up on Thursday morning when flight tracking data of a Qatari private jet travelling from Doha — via Lagos in Nigeria — showed that Infantino appeared to still be in the air to Paraguay, delaying the Congress by three hours.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rankle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankle
Verb
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The situation was on the minds of many who cheered when the Ford steamed from its pier in Norfolk, with tugboats hugging the carrier's hull and sailors lining the sprawling deck in their dress-white uniforms.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 June 2025
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History trickled into the bitterness between the two sides and left Roberts still steaming even after the Dodgers’ 8-6 win.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Verb
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The cost of the wedding has been estimated at up to nearly $50M, infuriating locals and activists who claim Amazon pays minimal taxes in European countries and point to Bezos’ use of his extreme personal wealth to effectively take over parts of the historic city, disrupting daily life.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
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His unwillingness to compromise made the restaurant unfeasibly expensive to run, infuriating his investor, family friend Uncle Jimmy (a.k.a.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 June 2025
Verb
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The battle over Elizabeth Street Garden has raged on for more than a decade.—
Randy Mastro,
New York Daily News,
24 June 2025
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Heredia shared a video alongside his comments, which shows a diver pulling rope out of the raging waters near the waterfall.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Cambodia angered by neighbor’s new restrictions on border crossings PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia's government on Tuesday accused Thailand of escalating border tensions by imposing new restrictions that have blocked almost all land crossings, especially for tourists heading into Cambodia.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 June 2025
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As a mom, I’m angered at the existence of so many abusers who lure children through the internet.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
20 June 2025
Verb
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The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2023
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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.—
Neeti Mehra,
Treehugger,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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That’s likely to ignite further anger from Democrats, who are enraged after Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was handcuffed on the floor after being forcefully removed from a Thursday press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in LA.—
Jonathan Easley,
The Hill,
13 June 2025
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His budget-cutting work for the Trump administration enraged many former Musk/Tesla fans, slashing the appeal of a once high-flying brand.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
11 June 2025
Verb
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For snacks, reach for protein-rich options like nuts, cottage cheese, or boiled eggs.1112 Building lean muscle mass can boost your metabolism.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
30 June 2025
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Most hot springs are actually neutral, Poland said, but the temperatures are so extreme that the bison most likely boiled to death.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Francie instantly annoys Nat by kissing Pete hello, and the two women start yelling at each other immediately.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
27 June 2025
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If visible bulbs and cables annoy you, these aren’t for you.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rankle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankle. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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