as in rapid
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed
we drove off at a rattling pace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extremely
to a great degree
a rattling good storyteller
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in clattering
to make a series of short sharp noises
the children tromped through the kitchen, making the plates on the shelf rattle
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in chatting
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in rambling
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in embarrassing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rattling
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2025
Here a number of the emigrants who arrived late were stowed away on a rattling floor of cane, covered with hides.
—Gary Kamiya, SFChronicle.com, 2 Oct. 2020
Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Archival footage illustrates, in pulse-pounding and nerve-rattling fashion, just how widespread calls for Rushdie’s murder were.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
Under Kennedy, policy making and saber rattling go hand in hand.
—Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Trump had previously slapped a 10 percent tariff on Denmark and its European allies over the issue of Greenland, rattling much of Europe.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2026
The report was due last January, months before a backyard fireworks compound caught fire and sparked a series of explosions in Esparto that killed seven workers, rattling the rural Yolo County community.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 22 Jan. 2026
In the video, large-caliber guns can be heard rattling as vehicles maneuver through urban streets.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026
But while a four-string electric bass can descend to 41 Hz, chances are that most speakers are only bumping and rattling in an attempt to generate such low frequencies, much less accurately replicating the timbre and voice of the instrument itself.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 18 Jan. 2026
Presley’s pink pants and rattling hips were eye-level with the country music crowd.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Other than visible dirt and dust, signs that your bathroom exhaust fan needs cleaning includes a rattling or buzzing sound, reduced airflow, or excess moisture along the walls.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2025
Here a number of the emigrants who arrived late were stowed away on a rattling floor of cane, covered with hides.
—Gary Kamiya, SFChronicle.com, 2 Oct. 2020
Verb
In the latest violence rattling the fragile ceasefire, medics said two men were killed by Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis, in an area adjacent to where the army operates.
—Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Archival footage illustrates, in pulse-pounding and nerve-rattling fashion, just how widespread calls for Rushdie’s murder were.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
Under Kennedy, policy making and saber rattling go hand in hand.
—Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Trump had previously slapped a 10 percent tariff on Denmark and its European allies over the issue of Greenland, rattling much of Europe.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2026
The report was due last January, months before a backyard fireworks compound caught fire and sparked a series of explosions in Esparto that killed seven workers, rattling the rural Yolo County community.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 22 Jan. 2026
In the video, large-caliber guns can be heard rattling as vehicles maneuver through urban streets.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026
But while a four-string electric bass can descend to 41 Hz, chances are that most speakers are only bumping and rattling in an attempt to generate such low frequencies, much less accurately replicating the timbre and voice of the instrument itself.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 18 Jan. 2026
Presley’s pink pants and rattling hips were eye-level with the country music crowd.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rattling
Adjective
-
Across the city, mutual-aid and rapid-response networks are coordinating food, rides, childcare, rent assistance, and medical support so families can keep living without exposing themselves to risk.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Kindred, which owns both Orange County facilities, has refused to pay workers enough to avoid rapid turnover that has contributed to understaffing.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Where these winds coincide with heavy snow, blizzard conditions are possible, with near-zero visibility and extremely dangerous travel, particularly along the Outer Banks of North Carolina and into southeast Virginia.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Therefore, telling the story in graphic form on behalf of Ukrainians themselves, explaining the preconditions for Russia’s attempts to erase Ukraine as a sovereign country and Ukrainians as an ethnic group, became extremely relevant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Her days are patterned, quiet, and slow; her toys make no clattering sounds, the nursery is decorated only in soothing, dim colors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
San Francisco is a city of mighty bridges, clattering cable cars, and next‑gen futurism.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Harmon frequently treks through the desert, wearing ankle braces and an orange safety vest, chatting with Border Patrol agents who appear to have taken to her.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The 24-year-old actor revealed his preferences for male body hair while chatting about doing nude scenes alongside his costar Connor Storrie in Heated Rivalry, on the latest episode of the Shut Up Evan podcast.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
What on Earth was Gabriel rambling on about before, anyway?—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Roger Naylor shares 10 favorite Arizona destinations from his 50 years of rambling here.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
An unwritten rule of the NBA, it is generally viewed as a sign of respect to run out the clock rather than risk embarrassing an opponent.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Recently, Ryan spoke about the Beckham situation, the process of writing material as a mother without embarrassing her kids and her new goal of returning to the career trajectory of her pre-pregnant self in the near future.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Faber and Rivera’s fight will be the main event for a brisk night of fights.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Ringing piano eighths gallop at a brisk mid-tempo, while percussive hits ring out in the distance.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Tucked in among all of the many things that Pep Guardiola has got off his chest about referees over the past couple of weeks was a very small detail that might explain an awful lot.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Yes, there's a very pretty swath of sand leading to the Atlantic Ocean, where lifeguards keep watch every day of the year.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rattling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rattling. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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