as in irritating
causing annoyance
for some air travelers, the most rankling aspect of the security measures seems to be the restrictions regarding carry-on baggage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in raging
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger
that kind of rude treatment from a young person makes me rankle
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in angering
to make angry
it rankles me when some schools can't even afford paper and pencils for the students
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rankling
Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankling
Adjective
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When you’re getting dressed for the day, few things are as irritating as putting together the perfect outfit only for the bra to dig into your skin underneath it all.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Meanwhile, the ShineOn lip gloss is non-sticky, dermatologist-approved and non-irritating.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The survival drama stars Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera as a bus driver and teacher, respectively, who have to save school kids from a raging wildfire.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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Out in these unforgiving wilds, the five-cabin Ultima Thule Lodge (open May through September) is a beacon of backcountry luxury on the banks of the raging Chitina River.—
Nicholas DeRenzo,
AFAR Media,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Declaring bankruptcy allowed the church to freeze all of its pending lawsuits, angering victims’ attorneys who repeatedly have accused Bishop Michael Barber of trying to stall.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
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Lawyers at Walsh Gallegos coordinated two releases of emails and other documents on behalf of the school board, but CNN reported how gaping holes remained, surprising and angering board members.—
Shimon Prokupecz,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Don’t be mad at me for saying so, but from the buyer’s side, your ads are likely annoying.—
Renae Gregoire,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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The argument for quarterly reporting is that efficient and fair public markets require transparency, no matter how annoying that may be to executives who have to pay people to do the actual compliance, accounting and public-relations work around that report four times a year.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Needless to say, fans are steaming.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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At the other end, the Premier League is steaming beyond its peers; a super league in all but name.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Stopping The Scammers But alongside legitimate fundraisers there are many scammers with fake appeals, sucking money away from the frontline and infuriating fighters trying to get money for a new truck or drone jammer.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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The lack of development from the teams tops prospects has been infuriating.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Before last season, his latent talent was obvious, but a frustrating lack of consistency meant the 28-year-old was never — until now — even included in the 30-man shortlist for the award.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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More frustrating still is when the shoe is on the other foot.—
Bruce Tulgan,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These bones are covered by thinner layers of muscle and fat and would have been more prone to burning if a body were placed over a fire.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
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Farad Fire has been burning on private land.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rankling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankling. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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