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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
John Paul, The Providence Journal, 20 Feb. 2026
The move revived memories of blatant tampering with inflation statistics by past populist governments, rattling investor confidence and public trust.
—Isabel Debre, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
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
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
During the day there is no rattling.
—John Paul, The Providence Journal, 20 Feb. 2026
The move revived memories of blatant tampering with inflation statistics by past populist governments, rattling investor confidence and public trust.
—Isabel Debre, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rattling
Adjective
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The recent turmoil is testing some of the foundations that powered private credit’s rapid growth, including aggressive underwriting, highly leveraged middle-market borrowers and the promise of stable capital insulated from bank-style runs.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Criminal defenses that meet the legal threshold to argue an alternative perpetrator was responsible are extremely uncommon in the state, legal experts told the Statesman.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Fajardo-Acosta described him as an extremely serious person who also possessed a good sense of humor, spoke very eloquently and read all the time.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His father was a wheeler-dealer who lived by quick wits and the sweat of his brow, dabbling in bootlegged sake, swine farming, loan sharking, and later pachinko parlors—Japan’s ubiquitous low-stakes gambling game of clattering steel ball bearings.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
24 Feb. 2026
-
That was until Keene, charging from inside the key, got both hands on the ball, got a foot down inbounds and called a timeout before clattering into a group of cheering fans.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Whisking past the press with the confident air of an actor who doesn’t need to do a stint on the mini mic anymore, Taylor could be found inside the Royal Festival Hall chatting to co-star Chase Infiniti and Hollywood legend Glenn Close, who came straight from the Erdem anniversary show.—
Alice Newbold,
Vogue,
22 Feb. 2026
-
After an awkward silence, Hader offered to talk to Nick when he was done chatting with his friends.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In addition to the lake, there are 26 miles of trails for rambling at Hot Springs National Park as well as a number of hiking paths leading into and out of downtown.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
-
That’s when Amendola’s face, combined with some unhinged rambling, got the message across that something big just happened.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Fairchild played the free-wheeling bon vivant Nora Tyler Bing on five episodes of the sitcom classic, unwittingly embarrassing Perry's Chandler Bing to the delight of his pals.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
-
One day, Will goes viral after embarrassing ROAR league MVP, Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), during a streetball challenge, prompting his favorite team, the Vineland Thorns, to sign him to a season-ending contract in a desperate attempt to juice ticket sales.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Morning habits like brisk walking, jogging, strength training, or short high-intensity workouts have all been linked to lower blood pressure.—
Alexandria Nyembwe,
Health,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Many aspects of Elvis’ story are touched on glancingly or not at all in the film’s brisk 90-minute runtime.—
Kim Willis,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
In fact, very little separates them.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 Feb. 2026
-
So people are very patient with me.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rattling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rattling. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
