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
Richard Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 27 Oct. 2025
Trump's administration has come under intense criticism over its handling of records related to the case, rankling many leading voices within the MAGA-sphere.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 24 Sep. 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
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
Trump's administration has come under intense criticism over its handling of records related to the case, rankling many leading voices within the MAGA-sphere.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 24 Sep. 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
-
Formulated in Korea with natural, non-irritating ingredients suitable for sensitive skin, the face masks are the first example, infusing hydrating and calming ingredients such as Vitamin B12 and aloe.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Some viewers find her impulsiveness more irritating than endearing.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Newsom, along with California’s two Senators, had spent most of Wednesday in LA with fire survivors and first responders on the anniversary of the raging storm that destroyed so much for so many.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Another piece of footage, also geolocated, shows a fire raging inside a government complex in northeast Golestan province.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The board instead approved a resolution to reexamine current campus spaces, angering some parents.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile another son, Eduardo, lobbied US officials to impose tariffs on Brazil in response to the verdict, angering many back home.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Meynecke said his footage suggested the whales found their hangers-on annoying.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Thankfully, the best faux garlands offer the look and oftentimes feel of the real thing without the sticky sap or annoying cleanup.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Instead, he was bundled off in the middle of the night to the USS Iwo Jima steaming offshore in the Caribbean and then a flight to Stewart Air National Guard Base in the Hudson Valley on his way to a New York jail cell to await his trial.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
4 Jan. 2026
-
The extra hydration and water vapor from a steaming mug of tea help thin the mucus.—
Angela Ryan Lee,
Verywell Health,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The implications are infuriating.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The hosts’ stand-in captain was at his eccentric best, infuriating bowlers and fielders alike.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
For athletes, the C1 solves a frustrating, age-old problem.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The reality is that traditional investigative journalism is a frequently boring and frustrating endeavor that takes a lot of time, money, and patience.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The prescribed fire has been burning on federal land managed by the United States Forest Service for four days.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The company built a retail and residential complex around the county’s Coconut Grove Metrorail station, and Martin also is pitching an incinerator site in western Miami-Dade as an alternative to the Levine Cava plan to rebuild the trash-burning facility in Doral.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
4 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rankling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankling. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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