RATTLES Synonyms: 162 Similar and Opposite Words

rattles 1 of 2

noun

plural of rattle

as in noises

loud, confused, and usually inharmonious sound I'd go nuts if I had to endure the rattle of that bottling plant every day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rattles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rattle

as in clatters

to make a series of short sharp noises the children tromped through the kitchen, making the plates on the shelf rattle

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as in chats

to engage in casual or rambling conversation busily rattling away about our vacation plans, we didn't listen to the announcements and missed our flight

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as in rambles

to talk at length without sticking to a topic or getting to a point she rattled on and on about all her European shopping trips, but I wasn't really listening

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as in embarrasses

to throw into a state of self-conscious distress don't let a little mistake rattle you while you're playing during the piano recital

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of rattles

Noun

Cunningham’s Fisher-Price pianos and decrepit drums are unmistakable, as is Ciani’s Buchla, which whooshes and rattles like a steam engine barreling down the tracks. —

Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026 Most people initially become aware of the reptiles by hearing their rattles, which the snakes use to try to scare off aggressors or to distract prey. —

Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026 The snakes can, however, lose their rattles or simply decide not to use them. —

Brianna Taylor, Sacbee.com, 12 Mar. 2026 If your current carry-on rattles, tips, or barely survives a weekend away, consider this your sign. —

Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026 Silver engraving, masks, totem poles, rattles, prints. —

Kerry Breen, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025 Cutlery, rattles and cups are among the most popular choices as keepsake gifts for newborns. —

Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 Think things like rattles, balls, activity gyms, and more. —

Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025 The lack of an internal-combustion engine means that any EV manufacturer needs to solve for additional NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness), so RBW went down the rabbit hole chasing creaks and rattles. —

Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025

Verb

Emma’s shocking admission rattles the entire wedding party, particularly Haim’s Rachel, whose cousin was left paralyzed by an act of gun violence. —

Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 3 Apr. 2026 In Walker Percy’s novel The Moviegoer, the hero, Binx Bolling, tells us that there is an invisible Geiger counter in his head that rattles loudly whenever a Jew passes by. —

Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026 Few characters on the new CBS daytime drama Beyond the Gates stir up quite as much chaos as Hayley Lawson Hamilton—the calculating outsider whose romance with her former best friend’s father rattles the show’s central family. —

Shelby Stewart, Essence, 17 Mar. 2026 But as Blue Owl’s stumble rattles the industry, its standing in Washington is also getting shakier. —

Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026 Diesel prices surged to an average of $5 per gallon in metro Atlanta on Wednesday as the ongoing war in the Middle East rattles the global market, the AJC’s Amy Wenk reports. —

Adam Beam, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026 Arteta is making a strong show of maintaining his composure while the noise outside rattles the windows. —

Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026 The device, which clamps onto the line just above the hook and pairs zinc and graphite in seawater, creates a small electric field about the size of a beachball around the hook, and rattles approaching sharks. —

Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026 This ghost rattles industrial hoses and temporarily melds with an air purifier. —

Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rattles

Noun

Though bears are usually just curious and not threatening, mimicking animal noises or making any sudden movement can trigger an attack.

— Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
In addition to Rocky's vocalizations, Van der Ryn and Aadahl were also responsible for crafting hundreds of sounds and noises needed to fill out the soundscape.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026