1
as in to steam
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger
that kind of rude treatment from a young person makes me rankle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to infuriate
to make angry
it rankles me when some schools can't even afford paper and pencils for the students
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 rankle
Matthew quickly schemes his way into Oliver’s orbit after that first performance, impressing and rankling the group of lackeys in his entourage at the same time.
—
Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Dobson's unflinching conservatism rankled some Republican leaders at the height of his influence.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 21 Aug. 2025
Environmental groups, others long oppose SpaceX rocket launches That aggressive approach, though, has rankled environmentalists and others who have criticized SpaceX's operations for potentially decimating regional ecosystems.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Having to spend three hours being poked and prodded and prevented from making phone calls rankled; Diamandis is an incorrigible multitasker.
—Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rankle
Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Dobson's unflinching conservatism rankled some Republican leaders at the height of his influence.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 21 Aug. 2025
Environmental groups, others long oppose SpaceX rocket launches That aggressive approach, though, has rankled environmentalists and others who have criticized SpaceX's operations for potentially decimating regional ecosystems.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Having to spend three hours being poked and prodded and prevented from making phone calls rankled; Diamandis is an incorrigible multitasker.
—Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rankle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankle
Verb
-
In retaliation, the Houthis launched a fusillade of ballistic missiles at the Truman, which turned tail and steamed away, causing another Super Hornet to slide off the deck into the ocean.—
Seth Harp,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
-
In 1979, the Spartan came steamed into Ludington to unload its cargo and was supposed to enter a relatively short layup.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Slightly ironic for a man who in his time as the team’s GM this century has infuriated all parts of Cowboys nation.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The scale of the destruction shocked and infuriated Cutright, according to a different source familiar with the incident who did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As the Tush Push discourse raged Sunday night following the Chiefs’ 20-17 loss to the Eagles, another debate started.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025
-
At times, officials, including senior advisor Stephen Miller, have raged against federal judges for standing in their way by issuing nationwide injunctions, some of which Sotomayor and her colleagues have then had brought before them.—
Dan Gooding
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The attack angered the Gulf nation, and left the only diplomatic track working to bring a ceasefire to Gaza in limbo.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Kimmel's comments on Monday night about the suspect in Charlie Kirk's killing angered the administration.—
Clare Lombardo,
NPR,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lapin and her family were among the more than 150,000 people throughout Los Angeles forced to evacuate their homes because of the blazes, which burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed over 16,000 structures.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Historic data In 2024, California experienced 305 fires caused by lightning, resulting in 90,206 acres of wildland burned, according to NIFC records.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That suggestion enraged Democrats.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Kate Jewett, argued that Gladney was the one who was enraged, and that the homicide was committed with an unregistered AR-15 likely manufactured by Gladney himself.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The dish, a traditional cornerstone of Mexican cuisine that dates back over a thousand years, is a corn wrapping, called masa, filled with meats, vegetables and cheese, rolled then steamed or boiled in a corn husk.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Start by boiling a pot of hot water on your stove and pouring it slowly down your drain to loosen up the hair, food, or other debris.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Don't push sales and annoy people.—
Nitin Gupta,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Comments about my fast walk annoy me.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rankle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankle. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share