as in irritating
causing annoyance
for some air travelers, the most rankling aspect of the security measures seems to be the restrictions regarding carry-on baggage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in raging
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger
that kind of rude treatment from a young person makes me rankle
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in angering
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 rankling
Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
Matthew quickly schemes his way into Oliver’s orbit after that first performance, impressing and rankling the group of lackeys in his entourage at the same time.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankling
Adjective
-
Nina not being there contributed to one of the most irritating moments in this season so far, with Antonio smugly blowing a kiss into the camera for her and gloating about being in the top after her harsh critique last week.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
-
An irritating habit of his is to stop by and launch into long-winded stories about some mundane event in his present or past life or to pontificate about a current event.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
That people might be falling for the Minneapolis shooter’s scribblings and raging at each other over potential motivations is likely thrilling to potential copycat killers—proof that the troll still works.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Flash floods are usually characterized by raging torrents after heavy rains.—
AZCentral.com,
AZCentral.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lawyers at Walsh Gallegos coordinated two releases of emails and other documents on behalf of the school board, but CNN reported how gaping holes remained, surprising and angering board members.—
Shimon Prokupecz,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Starbase, which Texas voters in Cameron County approved in May to become its own town, attracted some controversy in June when commissioners with the city of Starbase voted unanimously to close several of the city’s public streets to outsiders, angering longtime residents and property owners.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
For those with allergies, these particles can be inhaled and trigger annoying symptoms like sneezing, a runny nose, or itchy eyes.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Nadaly Cordless Vacuum Run the lightweight vacuum over hard floors and carpets to suck up dirt, dust, crumbs, and other debris — without an annoying cord to trail.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At the other end, the Premier League is steaming beyond its peers; a super league in all but name.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
His observant approach to capturing the sights and sounds of New York’s Chinatown and Lower East Side — the streets packed with extras, the kitchens where Aishe works steaming and bustling — displays what can only be a documentarian’s attention to local detail and color.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Stopping The Scammers But alongside legitimate fundraisers there are many scammers with fake appeals, sucking money away from the frontline and infuriating fighters trying to get money for a new truck or drone jammer.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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The lack of development from the teams tops prospects has been infuriating.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Her list continues with small but frustrating oversights.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
But an early lead slipped away by halftime — and eventually turned into a frustrating 2-1 loss for Sporting at Children’s Mercy Park.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The candle has four slow-burning wicks, is filled with a paraffin and soy wax blend, and burns for up to 22 hours.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The wildfire has been burning on federal land managed by the United States Forest Service.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rankling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankling. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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