rumbling 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rumblingnext
as in whisper

Related Words

Relevance

rumbling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of rumble
as in growling
to make a low heavy rolling sound when thunder rumbled in the distant sky, we wisely began packing up our picnic

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 rumbling
Noun
But residents recounted the quake rattling them awake, evoking descriptions of a significant jolt and rumbling. — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025 Not just any type of bus, but a marshrutka—a crowded, rumbling, claustrophobic Soviet holdover minibus, solidly built with steel girding and equally lacking in shock absorbers and seat padding. — Irene Zabytko may 7, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Verb
The structural integrity of section 325 was in question as the roar of the crowd caused the upper reaches of the arena to literally start rumbling. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 11 June 2026 The house sits on a road tucked alongside a steep railroad embankment, where tracks carry rumbling trains to a rail yard in the village of fewer than 1,000 residents. — Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rumbling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rumbling
  1. whisper
  2. growling
  3. whispering
  4. intimation
  5. hint
  6. noise
  7. propaganda
Noun
  • Test your knowledge of cruise controversies, wedding whispers and more in this week's American Culture Quiz.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Sleep in peace with this tower fan, which is whisper-quiet at 25 decibels.
    — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of whisper
Verb
  • This could include sniffing around more than usual or barking and growling at odd places like piles of leaves.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 3 July 2026
  • Could the growling creature be responsible for the gouges by Zampanò’s dead body?
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 June 2026
Definition of growling
Noun
  • After Donna and Taylor were seen whispering in the suite during a Chiefs game, millions of Swifties and NFL fans were curious to know what the pair was chatting about in between plays.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
  • Two guys at the golf course are winking, and whispering, and tipping each other off.
    — Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 28 June 2026
Definition of whispering
Noun
  • Lately, those intimations have hit closer to home.
    — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
  • There is the visual memory of the shelves of books, but also an intimation of the weight, the heft of all the words in them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Definition of intimation
Noun
  • Four years later, there’s not a hint of complacency or dejection in France.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 4 July 2026
  • An abundance of hints, clues and other helpful items await, not to mention a bonus Custom Wordle and plenty more.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of hint
Noun
  • The three most common triggers included fear of strange people, fear of unfamiliar dogs and fear of unfamiliar situations like unexpected noises or objects on the sidewalk.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • For instance, in Berkeley, neighbors used CEQA — citing potential noise impact from partying students — to delay, for years, UC Berkeley’s construction of student dorms on People’s Park.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of noise
Noun
  • These clips, showing first-person views from drones striking military and logistical sites, have become a pillar of Ukraine’s wartime propaganda efforts to illustrate battlefield successes against Russia.
    — Marc Santora, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Finally, reality itself has a way of fighting back against lies and propaganda.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026
Definition of propaganda

Browse Nearby Words

rumbles
rumbling
rumblings
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumbling. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on rumbling

Nglish: Translation of rumbling for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All