RANKLING Synonyms: 129 Similar and Opposite Words

rankling 1 of 2

adjective

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rankling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of rankle

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

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

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 rankling

Verb

The Herald has learned Council President Liz Breadon visited councilors individually during the recess to ask them to push off the budget vote, rankling Weber, who had recommended a favorable vote take place at the day’s session. — Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 3 June 2026 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

Mars in your sign challenges disciplined Saturn, creating the deeply irritating experience of feeling motivated and blocked at the same time.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
Brands that connect those steps—or simply remove one irritating point of friction—can create disproportionate value.

— Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of irritating

Verb

Late one August afternoon in a Manhattan editing suite, with thunder and lightning raging outside, a storm was also brewing inside.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Amid the wars raging in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as the unrest in the United States, jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal was asked whether cinema should be political.

— Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of raging

Verb

However, Gemini halted withdrawals from its Earn program in November 2022, angering some of its more than 300,000 users.

— Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Newsom also wants to reduce payments that fire victims can receive for non-economic damages including pain and suffering, angering victims of the Eaton fire.

— Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of angering

Adjective

Adults’s Gen-Z characters tend to see their comforts as transient, their identities as mutable, and seriousness as an annoying obligation, all of which the second season pokes at a bit.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Fluctuating estrogen levels can disrupt the nerves responsible for your sense of scent, leading to this symptom that’s equally bizarre and annoying.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of annoying

Verb

Each bite was unique — a pocket of cold sour cream here, the cheese only partially melted there, the last crisp cry of the ever-steaming French fries yonder.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Their sound was described as a hybrid mixing elements of rock, blues and funk into a steaming-hot Houston stew.

— CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of steaming

Verb

But maybe that low point and the unexpected departure of Stokes and the return of Joe Root as Test captain ahead of the white-ball skipper has proved a turning point for one of the most gifted but infuriating batters of his generation.

— Paul Newman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
There are a variety of reasons for this — from reasonable to infuriating — why those who paid higher prices won’t be getting refunds.

— Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of infuriating

Adjective

Cynically or not, Chin and Vasarhelyi understand that these primal thrills are enough to distract us from the frustrating and sorrowful truth at the center of the story.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
That’s part of what made the limitations during a few days or drills and only playing six preseason snaps extra concerning and frustrating for the 25-year-old.

— Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of frustrating

Verb

As the planet heats up, driven by humans burning fossil fuels, the oceans are changing.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Twenty miles from the start of stage eight in Puçol, the biggest wildfire in 40 years in the city of Valencia was close to being extinguished but was still burning.

— Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of burning

Browse Nearby Words

rankles

rankling

rankness

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“Rankling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankling. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rankling

adjective

verb

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