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
Not a leaf rustling toward autumn. Ellen Bass, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rustling
Noun
  • The new era of college basketball, with unlimited transfers, players and their agents negotiating substantial salaries and big schools’ poaching of the best mid-major players – there’s no other way to put it – only increases the distance between the power schools and everyone else.
    Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
  • Van Jaarsveld’s team was working to safeguard rare white and black rhinos on the reserve and was specifically watching for lethal poaching crews believed to be operating in the area.
    Ryan Brennan April 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Betye Saar practically levitates into the room wearing a Max Mara jacket that resembles a bird’s plumage, with a butter-yellow silk Dior dress grazing the ground behind her and a cane in her hand.
    Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
  • For one, switching from sheep grazing to the more passive business of leasing land would have put the fate of his income in the hands of an outsider.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • Your eyes may see the prairie dogs digging and scurrying.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
  • An over-excited group of fans celebrated the two saves by breaking a pane of glass behind the Kings bench, sending the coaches scurrying and pausing the game for several minutes as workmen repaired the damage.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The crime-solving duo of Europol’s Mark Hess (Mikkel Boe Folsgaard) and Copenhagen detective Naia Thulin (Danica Curcic) is one of the genre’s best pairings, as Mark’s talents and personal struggles become clear over the course of the season alongside their crackling chemistry.
    David Faris, TheWeek, 6 May 2026
  • In contrast, her paced, crackling chorus serves as a recognition and reckoning.
    Caitlin Wolper Phillips, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • The looting report in Haaretz follows several other misconduct complaints against Israeli soldiers in Lebanon.
    Max Saltman, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Spiegelman uses the term micro-looting, dressing up petty theft in political pretensions.
    Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 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
  • And there’s already whispering that eventual new ownership will push for a remodeled ballpark to include a retractable roof.
    Charley Walters, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
  • Usher was snapped whispering secrets to his wife as the pair attended the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • Sri Lanka’s Police Narcotics Bureau is investigating if the smuggling activities are connected to local drug-running networks.
    Lucas Lilieholm, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Two San Diego men were sentenced for smuggling endangered exotic birds across the border.
    David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rustling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rustling. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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