rattling 1 of 3

rattling

2 of 3

adverb

rattling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of rattle
1
as in clattering
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
4

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 rattling
Adjective
Here a number of the emigrants who arrived late were stowed away on a rattling floor of cane, covered with hides. Gary Kamiya, SFChronicle.com, 2 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rattling
Adjective
  • In an era of such rapid and enormous change, the characteristics that defined an American, an American body, and, therefore, American citizenship itself were unstable and uncertain.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025
  • Fanning out across downtown with no real destination is an L.A. tradition — what about joining the many immigrant rights groups who have set up rapid response networks to show up where la migra does?
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Adverb
  • Mills, a longtime associate of Fiona Apple, knows this territory well: the pointed self-analysis of an extremely sensitive person.
    Jenn Pelly, Time, 7 June 2025
  • City’s academy has been extremely productive in recent years, with Phil Foden the shining light, but Rico Lewis, James McAtee, Oscar Bobb and O’Reilly are all now established squad players.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • After chatting to a voice LLM chatbot like ChatGPT, going back to trying to have a conversational user experience with Alexa (or Siri, or whoever) is frustrating.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • At the time, Faustino was chatting with PEOPLE at the 30th annual Race to Erase MS gala and addressed why his former costar was not in attendance at the event.
    Raven Brunner, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Examples include moderate or brisk walking, water aerobics, doubles tennis, slow cycling, or ballroom dancing.
    Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 30 May 2025
  • The sun peeked out, but brisk winds were blowing and temperatures only climbed to the high 40s near the lakefront.
    Susan DeGrane, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
Adverb
  • Even in 2006, when violence was at a very high point in Colombia, only 32% of asylum cases were approved.
    Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 7 June 2025
  • Remember to look high and low, scrutinizing not just eye-level shelves but also the very top ledges and the floor beneath hanging clothes.
    Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • Create Polls and Ask Questions Polls get people talking, and LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards it.
    William Arruda, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more!
    Leonard David, Space.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Spend your days absorbing its wartime history, wandering the outdoor markets, dining on seafood, rejuvenating at a spa, or hiking secluded coastal trails before lolling on the white-sand beaches.
    Peggy Orenstein, AFAR Media, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Cohen and colleagues have published several studies showing an increase in the polar vortex stretching or wandering.
    CBS News, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • As his health faded in the last year of his life, Neruda rushed to finish his story, which gives the last chapters of his book a galloping, fragmented quality.
    Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 25 June 2021
  • The artist was in Times Square last week to offer his latest corrective, unveiling a massive bronze statue of a young African American man in urban streetwear sitting astride a galloping horse.
    NBC News, NBC News, 7 Oct. 2019

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Cite this Entry

“Rattling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rattling. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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