rustling 1 of 2

Definition of rustlingnext

rustling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of rustle
1
as in grazing
to feed on grass or herbs just take the steer out to pasture and let it rustle for itself

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
as in crackling
to make small sounds usually by rubbing or moving my pet peeve is candy wrappers rustling during a movie

Synonyms & Similar 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 rustling
Noun
From the anti-Trump side, meanwhile, the American people hear a nervous rustling of vague doubts. David Frum, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026 In the teaser, above, Joanna, 47, can be seen speaking on-camera discussing the plans for the construction of the home on the balcony before a rustling can be heard coming from the woods behind her. Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025 The soft rustling of the tent flaps and the occasional distant dog barking underscored our vigil. Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025 But most exciting was any sudden splash, or a strange, distant cry, or a mysterious rustling in the thick shore brush. Ryan Knighton, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025 Great gray owls hunt blind, flying low, listening to the faintest rustling of a mouse beneath snow. Kate Siber, Outside, 21 Oct. 2025 The dense canopy of trees, the rustling of leaves, and the interplay of light and shadow that evoke mood and emotions. Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
End your drive with a stay at Chinati Hot Springs, and soak in the steaming springwater beneath rustling cottonwoods and the glittering expanse of Texas stars. Eva Frederick, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026 How Green Noise Differs From White Noise Green noise refers to a mid-frequency sound profile centered around 500 Hz that mimics nature sounds like ocean waves, gentle rain and rustling leaves. Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026 Green noise is a mid-frequency sound profile centered around 500 Hz that mimics nature sounds like ocean waves, gentle rain and rustling leaves. Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026 What Green Noise Actually Is Green noise is a mid-frequency sound profile centered around 500 Hz that mimics nature sounds like ocean waves, gentle rain and rustling leaves. Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2026 The ebb and flow sounds like rustling leaves or trickling water, somehow both earthly and hyperreal. Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026 Those few included Sacajawea, the Indian guide for Lewis and Clark, and Ella Watson, hanged for cattle rustling. Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026 His presentation showed these daytime levels to be roughly equivalent to a quiet rural area, while nighttime levels would be at the sound level of a whisper or rustling leaves. R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026 Sunshine, blue skies, rustling palm fronds, a high of 78 degrees – the South Floridian dream. Risa Polansky Shiman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rustling
Noun
  • Those populations continue to decline due to habitat loss, human-elephant conflict and poaching.
    Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Panthera says poaching is down, and the protection and revitalization has made the forest more amenable to big cats.
    Tom Page, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Kids who are even slightly adventurous eaters will have a blast grazing their way through the market, and watching the famous fish throwers is free entertainment that never gets old.
    Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The State Land Board closely monitors drought conditions and manages grazing on a case-by-case basis in coordination with lessees, spokeswoman Emily Barbo said in email.
    Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Nearby, her downstairs neighbor, Marina Quiroz, was showing a video of rats scurrying through her kitchen to a representative of the city’s tenant protection office.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Going outside now means scurrying along giant arcades, shaded from the Sun by massive canopies that filter 99% of its UV light.
    Big Think, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Set the scene A local crowd spanning generations has just spilled out of an artist talk in the art gallery, and now congregates by the crackling fireplace in the vibey bar area of Juliette.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Her stunning 2025 debut, Waiting Room, interrogated horror and discomfort through probing and foreboding synthesizer drones and crackling bass; on Carve, she’s not done with her demons yet.
    Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • On the streets of Saigon, there was widespread looting.
    Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Greece, home to an extensive repository of cultural artifacts, has long contended with the proliferation of counterfeits and the looting of archaeological sites.
    Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • No point hurrying toward a resolution that was always receding.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Instead of hurrying to break up tents and scatter RVs, Lee and Oakland’s interim homelessness chief Sasha Hauswald want city workers to focus on minimizing trash and human waste around encampments.
    Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • July 23 – August 22 The horizon is whispering your next lesson.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Through the echo of the old story whispering from the walls.
    JD Barker, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • He got shot while going undercover in an animal-smuggling ring, came up against IA multiple times for accusations of excessive force, and had to interrogate Hayden Panettiere as two different people.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Violent gangsters ran fentanyl and human smuggling over the Rio Grande.
    Ioan Grillo, Time, 15 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rustling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rustling. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.

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