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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rankling
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2026
The actress, producer and book club founder took to social media to speak out about leaning in to artificial intelligence, rankling some of her followers in the process.
—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
But Johnson recalled how in 2024 Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed undocumented people to work at public universities, rankling activists.
—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
15 Feb. 2026
But when Russia invaded Ukraine, South Africa repeatedly abstained from United Nations votes on the war—rankling officials in Washington.
—
Richard Fontaine,
Foreign Affairs,
27 Oct. 2025
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
Verb
The Herald has learned Council President Liz Breadon visited councilors individually during the recess to ask them to push off the budget vote, rankling Weber, who had recommended a favorable vote take place at the day’s session.
—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2026
The actress, producer and book club founder took to social media to speak out about leaning in to artificial intelligence, rankling some of her followers in the process.
—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
But Johnson recalled how in 2024 Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed undocumented people to work at public universities, rankling activists.
—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
15 Feb. 2026
But when Russia invaded Ukraine, South Africa repeatedly abstained from United Nations votes on the war—rankling officials in Washington.
—
Richard Fontaine,
Foreign Affairs,
27 Oct. 2025
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
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Greenberg tried his best to ignore an irritating ankle injury that had plagued him the last couple of weeks and grimaced under the hazy sunlight as the pitcher, probably 20 or more years his junior, stared him down.
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The hypoallergenic face serum is free from potentially irritating ingredients, such as parabens and synthetic fragrances, too.
Verb
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The market is trying to recover, but elite collectors seemingly want only trophy works; raging global conflicts, economic uncertainty, and political turmoil have whittled demand down to the safest names.
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So the curiosity about his record collection has been raging away.
Verb
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Younger, more far left candidates across the nation, from California to Indiana, are running this year to try and oust older, longtime congressional incumbents — angering Democratic Party leaders.
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But Schnur said the governor likely also has concerns about angering one of his biggest backers.
Adjective
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Scam texts are annoying for everyone.
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Others have blamed everything from feminism and long work commutes to annoying kiddy car seats.
Verb
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When in doubt, stick to food that is cooked and served steaming hot.
-
Enjoy a steaming plate of weekend-only biscuits and gravy.
Verb
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Adding secondary maturations into the bourbon lineup is likely going to divide longtime Four Roses fans, delighting some and infuriating others.
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In Chicago, these questions are interesting and infuriating because the Bulls have no say in the outcome.
Adjective
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So with that, that is extremely frustrating to, to members of Congress, especially Senate Republicans who think legislation like the bipartisan housing bill is good for voters heading into the midterms.
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But months later, Feldstein Soto’s office still hasn’t executed the contracts, frustrating tenants rights advocates and the nonprofits, which are struggling to pay their staff without the funds from the city.
Verb
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The fire at a cold storage facility in Boyle Heights began burning Wednesday, hours after Bass departed for the dedication of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
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The heat has been amplified by climate change, driven by humans burning fossil fuels.
Cite this Entry
“Rankling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankling. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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