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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rankling
Anika Reed, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
But Johnson recalled how in 2024 Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed undocumented people to work at public universities, rankling activists.
—Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 15 Feb. 2026
But when Russia invaded Ukraine, South Africa repeatedly abstained from United Nations votes on the war—rankling officials in Washington.
—Richard Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 27 Oct. 2025
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
Verb
The actress, producer and book club founder took to social media to speak out about leaning in to artificial intelligence, rankling some of her followers in the process.
—Anika Reed, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
But Johnson recalled how in 2024 Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed undocumented people to work at public universities, rankling activists.
—Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 15 Feb. 2026
But when Russia invaded Ukraine, South Africa repeatedly abstained from United Nations votes on the war—rankling officials in Washington.
—Richard Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 27 Oct. 2025
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
-
Driver recovery can automate what used to be an irritating manual process.—
Andrew Cunningham,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
-
No-see-um bites may be painful and irritating.—
Eva Flowe
May 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Duerr and Jaret Davey, a volunteer coordinator at Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, said several birds have also come in with raging fungal infections in their lungs — the type of infection an animal gets only when its immune system has been suppressed by disease or malnutrition.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
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The raging success of Cheers, Seinfeld, Friends, Home Improvement, and Roseanne inspired a flood of clones.—
Ted Linhart,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The retailer scaled back Pride displays and rolled back DEI programs, angering its liberal customers.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
-
Months later, in January 1996, pilots again released clouds of leaflets north of the island, angering Fidel Castro and his brother Raúl Castro, who was serving as Cuba's defense minister at the time.—
Hank Tester,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Sixty-three percent of Glamour readers polled think lurking is annoying and also kind of creepy.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
-
For instance, many partners have small gripes or annoyances with habits that are annoying at worst, but far from an outright red flag — like a partner that chews somewhat loudly, leaves cabinet doors open or hums constantly while working.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Edamame is another easy option—try steaming it and topping it with a sprinkle of salt.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
19 May 2026
-
Today, Meta is steaming toward its own field of ice.—
Bhakti Mirchandani,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
One of the most consistently infuriating elements of Yellowstone was how Sheridan kept positioning the Duttons — a family of land barons with immense political power and a penchant for murder — as righteous underdogs.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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In addition to infuriating those crusty Canadian fans who hate these new-fangled markets — and to be clear, that’s also a selling point — this matchup would feature each side trying to put the ghosts of past failure to rest.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Few things are more frustrating than a disruptive night’s sleep.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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This scenario deprives producers, sales agents, and distributors of global monetization opportunities across all types of films, while frustrating audiences who discover these titles but can’t watch them.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Heard whole, the Barber-Menotti product is as gloriously over the top as anything that Bette Davis ever made with William Wyler—and Heartbeat’s reduction of it to its burning cinders is as just as effective as Glyndebourne’s grandly eloquent take.—
Russell Platt,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
In the northernmost part of Delaware, coal-burning steam locomotives still chug along historic rails, pulling travelers in antique passenger coaches.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rankling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankling. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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