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
The 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in Lisbon still rankles.
—
Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 21 May 2026
That such a talented businessman seems to have so little faith in the point of his product certainly rankles this consumer.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
That is something that rankles Stammen, among others.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2026
The irony and meaninglessness of the carnage rankles, especially when Ulysses is presented as such a nice guy who is prone to de-escalation in his day-to-day work.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The irony and meaninglessness of the violence rankles, especially when Ulysses is presented as such a nice guy who is prone to de-escalation and community care in his day-to-day work.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
That notion has its romantic appeal, of course, but rankles all the same for its score of simplifications.
—Rhoda Feng, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
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
Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 21 May 2026
That such a talented businessman seems to have so little faith in the point of his product certainly rankles this consumer.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
That is something that rankles Stammen, among others.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2026
The irony and meaninglessness of the carnage rankles, especially when Ulysses is presented as such a nice guy who is prone to de-escalation in his day-to-day work.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The irony and meaninglessness of the violence rankles, especially when Ulysses is presented as such a nice guy who is prone to de-escalation and community care in his day-to-day work.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
That notion has its romantic appeal, of course, but rankles all the same for its score of simplifications.
—Rhoda Feng, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankles
Verb
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During that time, the steak essentially steams.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
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This all comes as the legal fight over the audit steams ahead, over 15 months after 72% of the state signed off on the ballot measure.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In all, PayPal Park is allowed to host as many as 15 concerts a year, a number that delights some live music fans and angers those in the neighborhood who are concerned about the noise that these shows will generate.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
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Becerra has received a lot of support from Big Oil, which also angers progressives but is also probably a good thing since California still needs a lot of oil.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Halfway through 2026 and the Beckham family feud still rages on.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
Russia's war in Ukraine, which Trump once vowed to end, rages on.—
Danielle Kurtzleben,
NPR,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Georgia Supreme Court challenger Jen Jordan infuriates Republicans with a new fundraising email.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
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To that end, Nate's extravagant wedding infuriates Naz, who thinks Nate has the ability to pay him back but is holding out on him.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Also contaminated are fish, staples of Midwestern fish fries and fish boils, and an important part of the diet of Indigenous tribes, certain immigrant populations and communities of color.—
Michael Hawthorne,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
-
Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 June 2026
Verb
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The ghostly character doesn't have a particularly significant role in the story, but is a constant nuisance in the tapestry of Hogwarts with antics that include throwing things, making messes, pulling pranks, and generally causing mischief that enrages caretaker Argus Filch.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
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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
Verb
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Kishnani’s now 48 but the exclusion still burns.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
-
Destined only to be savoured as a dream, while the world still burns around you.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 June 2026
Verb
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What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
One of the more common ways bear encounters escalate is when an off-leash dog runs toward a bear, annoys it, and then comes sprinting back to its owner with an angry predator in pursuit.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rankles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankles. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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