rattle 1 of 2

Definition of rattlenext

rattle

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to clatter
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
as in to ramble
to talk at length without sticking to a topic or getting to a point she rattled on and on about all her European shopping trips, but I wasn't really listening

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb rattle contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rattle are abash, discomfit, disconcert, and embarrass. While all these words mean "to distress by confusing or confounding," rattle implies an agitation that impairs thought and judgment.

rattled by all the television cameras

When might abash be a better fit than rattle?

Although the words abash and rattle have much in common, abash presupposes some initial self-confidence that receives a sudden check, producing shyness, shame, or a feeling of inferiority.

abashed by her swift and cutting retort

When could discomfit be used to replace rattle?

While in some cases nearly identical to rattle, discomfit implies a hampering or frustrating accompanied by confusion.

hecklers discomfited the speaker

When is disconcert a more appropriate choice than rattle?

The words disconcert and rattle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, disconcert implies an upsetting of equanimity or assurance producing uncertainty or hesitancy.

disconcerted by finding so many in attendance

When would embarrass be a good substitute for rattle?

In some situations, the words embarrass and rattle are roughly equivalent. However, embarrass implies some influence that impedes thought, speech, or action.

the question embarrassed her so much she couldn't answer

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 rattle
Noun
This siren’s song arises from the murmur of doves on an Arizona stock tank and the rattle of Indiana cornstalks. Jim Moore, Outdoor Life, 8 Oct. 2025 Think things like rattles, balls, activity gyms, and more. Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
Anxiety around megacap tech firms’ AI spending — Alphabet and Meta have also announced big spending plans in recent days — has rattled Wall Street. Alex Harring, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026 While silver's recent price correction has rattled markets, the metal still trades at over double its early 2025 levels, supported by persistent supply deficits and growing industrial demand. Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rattle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rattle
Noun
  • Seattle’s home crowd let out a menacing roar.
    Cam Inman, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
  • The dunk led to the loudest roar by the crowd inside Allen Fieldhouse all game.
    Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Zinc roofs clattered lightly against each other in the wind, the only sound in the village.
    Pelumi Salako, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
  • That was until Keene, charging from inside the key, got both hands on the ball, got a foot down inbounds and called a timeout before clattering into a group of cheering fans.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • So far, he’s been spotted draped in a full-length, white fluffy coat and fire engine-red hat and gloves, watching the women’s downhill race, and casually chatting with onlookers at the curling mixed doubles, adorned in a zip-jacket emblazoned with Team USA players’ faces.
    Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Our winter season continues with Adina Hoffman (recipient of a 2013 Windham-Campbell Prize for Nonfiction) chatting with Michael Kelleher about Georges Perec’s magical and mercurial and maddening An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris, translated by Marc Lowenthal.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • One day in July, Mitchell rambled about his mother’s house when Smart blurted out that Wright lived in the same neighborhood.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Day trips to Amalfi-style Taormina are well-advised for those who have yet to gawp at its clifftop panoramas across the Mediterranean or its film star hotels, as are jaunts to the rambling flea markets and splendidly scruffy trattorias of nearby Catania.
    Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • One day, Will goes viral after embarrassing ROAR league MVP, Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), during a streetball challenge, prompting his favorite team, the Vineland Thorns, to sign him to a season-ending contract in a desperate attempt to juice ticket sales.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The case has deeply embarrassed the royal family, especially his mother, who suffers from an incurable lung illness and who is torn between her role as mother and future queen.
    CBS News, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Two hours later, Ukraine’s urgent plight – the defining security crisis of Europe’s post-WW2 era - was passionately portrayed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, evoking the issue that should have been center stage breaking through the MAGA noise.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
  • That one sentence explains a lot of the current noise—and where the next upside will come from.
    Martin Moszkowicz, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders said at trial that the custody exchange on the day of the shooting was a ruse for Payne to talk his way back into Lane's life.
    Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Keith Law is doing a live chat today to talk MLB prospects.
    Chris Branch, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • For something more low-key, wander down to the local beach from the hotel’s beach club, stopping off for a fresh coconut along the way.
    Harriet Compston, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Cherniack said Healey, who was identified for the first time Monday, was known to wander about the premises.
    Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rattle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rattle. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

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