RUSTLES Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

rustles 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rustle

as in grazes

to feed on grass or herbs just take the steer out to pasture and let it rustle for itself

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in scurries

to proceed or move quickly rustled around enthusiastically on the morning of the big trip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in crackles

to make small sounds usually by rubbing or moving my pet peeve is candy wrappers rustling during a movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

rustles

2 of 2

noun

plural of rustle

as in whispers

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 rustles

Verb

Birds chirp, and the breeze rustles the leaves. — Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2026 Even Super Dog makes an appearance — cape, mask and all — ready to leap into action the moment a snack bag rustles. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025 Meanwhile, hikers trace goat paths to the secluded Tatevi Anapat Hermitage, where wind rustles through fig trees and the only sound is the echo of footfalls on ancient stone. — Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rustles

Verb

Paul walks the cavern’s polished concrete floor, absorbs its hum, grazes its plastic surfaces with his fingertips.

— Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
The plot of Red Sheet, though, only grazes the surface of Ellroy’s unique historical perspective.

— Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2026

Definition of grazes

Verb

Meanwhile, in King’s Landing, Alicent scurries the great halls, desperate to shore up support for her plan to hand Rhaenyra the Red Keep.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026
That goes for much here, from the light that scurries away from Benjamín Echazarreta’s muted camera, to the moments of sweetness that punctuate Mariá Portugal’s largely ominous score.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 May 2026

Definition of scurries

Verb

There are people in the Bowie House bar sipping whiskey and having a heart to heart, there are people playing pool in the Billet Room, and there are couples enjoying an intimate moment in the Mulberry Room while the fire crackles in the background.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 July 2026
Among the red seats of the David Geffen Theater, the atmosphere crackles with anticipation and a touch of anxiety.

— Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026

Definition of crackles

Noun

The whispers had grown too loud to ignore, and a grand jury was convened.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026
But eccentricity is only the visible tip of the vast iceberg of Vibeke’s mental health issues, and soon Karl and Rikke are conferring in low whispers about whether, and when, to slip some ground-up sleeping pills into her drink.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 7 July 2026

Definition of whispers

Verb

The 22-year-old was long considered ill-suited for grass, given how the surface dulls the athletic foundation of her game and rushes her forehand.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 July 2026
In particular, consumers should avoid peak sunset and dinner rushes for nonperishable goods.

— Christopher S. Tang, The Conversation, 8 July 2026

Definition of rushes

Verb

Crysencio Summerville squeaks it just inside the left post in the 64th minute to retake the lead for The Netherlands, 2-1.

— Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 June 2026
Say your engine has an oil leak, the A/C fan belt squeaks intermittently, and the two front tires are close to bald.

— Oc Register, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026

Definition of squeaks

Noun

For weeks, there have been murmurs in DC about a coming White House move to address the inevitability of powerful, open-source Chinese AI models being used by people and businesses across the globe.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
Despite murmurs of sessions for a new album, which began circulating in 2022, there’s no official news as of yet about a seventh Sade album.

— Al Shipley, SPIN, 30 June 2026

Definition of murmurs

Verb

If someone hurries you, slow the exchange and name what feels good in your body, like sitting down before deciding on plans.

— Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
Nix almost always hurries his throws when a blitz comes Harvey’s way, regardless of whether the rookie RB picks it up capably or not.

— Luca Evans, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025

Definition of hurries

Browse Nearby Words

rustlers

rustles

rustling

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rustles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rustles. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of rustles

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on rustles

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bibelot

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes