as in upset
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1
as in clattered
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
as in chatted
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
busily rattling away about our vacation plans, we didn't listen to the announcements and missed our flight
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3
as in rambled
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
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4
as in embarrassed
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
don't let a little mistake rattle you while you're playing during the piano recital
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Recent Examples of rattled
Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
The anemic performance breathed even more confidence into the Spurs, who looked rattled in Game 1.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 7 May 2026
The conflict with Iran has driven up borrowing costs and rattled markets, adding to economic uncertainty.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Movius asked the rattled crowd afterward.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Most importantly, Darnold didn’t make a mistake all night, while Maye seemed rattled and lost a fumble and threw a late interception.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
As a result, Nvidia’s results next week could soothe some rattled nerves around tech, given that where the AI chipmaker goes, the stock market seems to go as well.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 14 Nov. 2025
His praise came several months after some of the president's loudest supporters called Barrett squishy, a rattled law professor and a DEI hire for siding against the administration on one of the president’s many emergency appeals.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
On Wednesday, the bond selloff took a breather, offering a measure of relief after the spike in yields rattled investors.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Thank god, because how boring would life be if we got rattled and stopped all that.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
Shoppers are rattled by reports that Everlane, the former direct-sales retailer that promised sustainably made clothes, is being purchased by fast-fashion giant Shein.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Yet in other ways, Koepp was rattled by that monster success.
—Darryn King, Vanity Fair, 19 May 2026
Two Game 7 victories for Cleveland tells me this team is not going to get rattled.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 18 May 2026
The revelations at the time rattled the Bahamian government, prompted the resignation of the country’s police commissioner even though he was not accused of wrongdoing, and fueled speculation about drug traffickers’ foothold in the government.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026
Another weekend of chaos approaches in the world of California girls' track and field, as an ongoing Title IX crisis has rattled parents in the southern region of the state.
—Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Adjective
Though the actress said the moment did not physically harm her, the interaction left her rattled and confused.
—Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
The anemic performance breathed even more confidence into the Spurs, who looked rattled in Game 1.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 7 May 2026
The conflict with Iran has driven up borrowing costs and rattled markets, adding to economic uncertainty.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Movius asked the rattled crowd afterward.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Most importantly, Darnold didn’t make a mistake all night, while Maye seemed rattled and lost a fumble and threw a late interception.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
As a result, Nvidia’s results next week could soothe some rattled nerves around tech, given that where the AI chipmaker goes, the stock market seems to go as well.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 14 Nov. 2025
His praise came several months after some of the president's loudest supporters called Barrett squishy, a rattled law professor and a DEI hire for siding against the administration on one of the president’s many emergency appeals.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
One recent incident occurred in October at the Chevron oil refinery in El Segundo, triggered after a large fire broke out in a corner of the refinery where crude oil is turned to jet fuel, and resulted in a violent blast that rattled homes up to one mile away.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
On Wednesday, the bond selloff took a breather, offering a measure of relief after the spike in yields rattled investors.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Thank god, because how boring would life be if we got rattled and stopped all that.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
Shoppers are rattled by reports that Everlane, the former direct-sales retailer that promised sustainably made clothes, is being purchased by fast-fashion giant Shein.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Yet in other ways, Koepp was rattled by that monster success.
—Darryn King, Vanity Fair, 19 May 2026
Two Game 7 victories for Cleveland tells me this team is not going to get rattled.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 18 May 2026
The revelations at the time rattled the Bahamian government, prompted the resignation of the country’s police commissioner even though he was not accused of wrongdoing, and fueled speculation about drug traffickers’ foothold in the government.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026
Another weekend of chaos approaches in the world of California girls' track and field, as an ongoing Title IX crisis has rattled parents in the southern region of the state.
—Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rattled
Adjective
-
The moment capped a chaotic rivalry game between the reigning Open Division champions and a Kennedy team that was pushing for an upset, with defensive miscues helping shape the late innings for both sides.—
Ethan Hanson,
Daily News,
23 May 2026
-
But the cash Levine pumped into his own campaign — about one-fifth of his net worth at the time — wasn’t enough to beat Gillum, the former Tallahassee mayor, a progressive who won the primary in a stunning upset.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
There have been a dozen political crises in Britain in the past decade, when Prime Ministers have fallen, elections have been called, and helicopters clattered overhead.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
The Premier League side had opened the scoring with a Viktor Gyokeres spot kick on 44 minutes, awarded when David Hancko clattered into the back of him.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Fatale star, 51, recently chatted with PEOPLE about her lobbying efforts for the California Bill AB 1901, which calls for more transparency in diaper ingredients.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
21 May 2026
-
Flow Space chatted with a dermatologist and a trichologist about how to fix common summer hair and scalp issues.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
When asked simple questions by William Savitt, one of the attorneys representing OpenAI, Musk rambled and avoided the issue at hand.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
18 May 2026
-
The eight wolves that are not in packs rambled much farther and were less likely to stay in a specific area, Cassidy said.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The Sixers were embarrassed by the Knicks 144-114 in Game 4 in front of a New York-heavy crowd in South Philadelphia.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
That this series has flipped on its head seemed almost impossible last Sunday, when the Celtics embarrassed Philadelphia in a Game 4 win on the Sixers’ home floor.—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi star as childhood pals turned hot and bothered frenemies having quite the torrid love affair as adults in a sumptuous and quite haughty bad romance.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
After a frustrating conversation with a hotel staffer about the air conditioning, a hot and bothered Fuller threw on a ball cap, turned it backward and recorded a rant on his cellphone.—
Tia Mitchell,
AJC.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Maisey, played by the phenomenal Lark White, is Black, and her shy adoptive father, Wayne (Ben Beckley), has never talked to her about her birth parents or even about race.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
-
At many such events in the past, people seated near me have talked throughout the concert.—
Maggie Penman,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Bum-seok listens impatiently to their second-hand accounts of tiger tracks being sighted in the mountains, leading them to assume the animal must have wandered all the way down from Siberia.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
-
The other day, an elephant wandered onto this very field.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rattled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rattled. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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