1
as in steams
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 angers
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 rankles
Nothing rankles fans more than a team that continues to make the same mistake over and over again.
—
Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
The International Court of Justice in 1962 awarded sovereignty to Cambodia over an area that included the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple, which still rankles many Thais.
—CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
This way of peering at screen culture from an inexact distance, which also comes up in a scolding scene where Ethan scrolls aimlessly through something like TikTok, rankles in a play that is otherwise so precise about physical time and space.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
This rankles some of her fans, particularly a stalker who begins murdering those boosting her acting ambitions.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 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
Omar’s growing outrage, especially when precious time is lost because of jammed phone lines, troubling silences and false assumptions, rankles Mahdi, the most overstretched of anyone at the call center.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
That decision still rankles some Republicans, years later.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 18 Aug. 2025
But he's paired with Travis (Davidson), whose cheery demeanor increasingly rankles until their truck is hijacked and the two have to bond to survive.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2025
Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
The International Court of Justice in 1962 awarded sovereignty to Cambodia over an area that included the 1,000-year-old Preah Vihear temple, which still rankles many Thais.
—CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
This way of peering at screen culture from an inexact distance, which also comes up in a scolding scene where Ethan scrolls aimlessly through something like TikTok, rankles in a play that is otherwise so precise about physical time and space.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
This rankles some of her fans, particularly a stalker who begins murdering those boosting her acting ambitions.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 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
Omar’s growing outrage, especially when precious time is lost because of jammed phone lines, troubling silences and false assumptions, rankles Mahdi, the most overstretched of anyone at the call center.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
That decision still rankles some Republicans, years later.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 18 Aug. 2025
But he's paired with Travis (Davidson), whose cheery demeanor increasingly rankles until their truck is hijacked and the two have to bond to survive.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankles
Verb
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Nothing steams football fans quite like NBC Sports broadcaster Cris Collinsworth praising Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Then, Lim steams the breastmilk in an espresso machine before adding the matcha into the drink.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
LaCava said the change seems like another city policy that angers many residents without major impact.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
What angers me is thinking about what could have been.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Europe is bracing for fallout from volatility in energy markets as conflicts rages in the Middle East.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Co-sleeping Is More Common While the debate rages on in America about whether or not co-sleeping is safe, in many African countries, including Kenya and South Africa, as well as Latin America, co-sleeping—whether bed-sharing or room-sharing—is an accepted practice.—
Katrina Donham,
Parents,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ugh, Salley infuriates me more than people who stop at the top of the subway stairs to check their phone.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
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No one exemplifies that, and infuriates Twins fans more, than Ortiz.—
Brian Hall,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Other seafood boils range from $20 to $50.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Here are some parties, crawfish boils, king cake locations, and more for the holiday.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This is exactly the kind of mainstream Christian view that enrages Allie Beth Stuckey.—
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
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This enrages Rebecca, who demands half his new salary, and the pair engage in a battle for control.—
Ilana Gordon,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But Mom, though we are surrounded by so much darkness and uncertainty, our love burns bright.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2026
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But her desire to compete at a high level still burns deep.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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Think of something that annoys you, connect it to masculinity by adding bro, and proceed as though that bro were a category of person.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rankles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankles. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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