Definition of rattlingnext

rattling

2 of 3

adverb

rattling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of rattle
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
3
4

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
Adjective
Their play is a symphony of cheers and swishes, conversation and laughter, dribbling balls and rattling rims. — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026 But others, where relentless, shelter-soaking rain is the aggressor, are no less vivid and terrifying, amplified by the rattling, percussive intensity of extraordinary sound design by Lena Esquenazi, Valeria Mancheva and Antonio Porem. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
Verb
Halloween is just under three weeks away, but HBCU football has already started rattling the windows. — Wilton Jackson, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Wilmington, California — The rattling whir of a diesel generator fills a corner of the truck yard. — Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rattling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rattling
Adjective
  • Seen through this lens, rising demand for in-person connection amid the rapid expansion of technology is not a contradiction.
    — Davis Noell, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The project signals continued demand for rapid-deployment energy infrastructure.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • Today, however, plague is curable and extremely unlikely to blow up into a new pandemic, experts say.
    — Faye Flam, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Nowhere was his balancing act viewed more extremely than with Ukraine.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The ballad finds Fontaines’ Grian Chatten and Rosalía trading lines over a moody acoustic strum that repeatedly swells with strings and clattering drums.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Shawn could hear his mother still clattering about in the kitchen, could smell the soapy smell of the man’s body.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Some people were chatting outside the church when something sounded like an engine backfiring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • From there, wine flowed as attendees tucked into filet mignon and sea bass while chatting across large burgundy floral centerpieces.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The tight hiding places of Kaitlyn Dever’s rambling house seem almost roomy compared with being stuck in the slimy gut of a sperm whale.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Another user experienced the issue on their Echo Show smart display but was able to stop the assistant from rambling by asking a random question.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • My New York neighbors barely said hello; in Singapore, a stranger would probably politely look away rather than risk embarrassing you.
    — Amanda Lee Koe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • After those results went public, embarrassing Muñiz and a few other judges, the Florida Bar stopped conducting surveys and publishing the results … leaving Florida voters with even fewer resources.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • There’s a lot packed into that paragraph, but Ribaudo is adept at keeping the narrative brisk and compelling.
    — Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Over Zoom on a brisk morning back home in Korea, Jeon has just experienced a whirlwind of a month.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Adverb
  • For example, because of their own home-buying timeline, a seller may need to close very quickly or may need more time than usual.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026
  • These songs are very evidently arranged, with ticklish, left-field grooves and tight pockets—never too tight for the persistent, puckish charm, the elbow-nudging glee.
    — Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rattling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rattling. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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