as in angered
feeling or showing anger
our supervisor was rankled by all the unexpected delays and problems we ran into
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in raged
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 infuriated
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
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 rankled
Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Coming several years after the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) and its sweeping modernizations, the encyclical rankled many Catholics who had hoped for a more liberal policy on birth control.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Mar. 2026
But the tone of the new pictures also suggests a return to the Romanticism that rankled him in his youth, or at least a lighter, less conflicted touch.
—Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
But some of the changes have rankled the House.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 22 Mar. 2026
The brash kid who rankled Major League Baseball early in his career is now a husband, father of four and one of the best representatives the sport has to offer.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
The 49ers have not made the NCAA Tournament since 2005, a 21-year drought that has rankled the team’s supporters for years.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 17 Mar. 2026
The ease with which Chalamet turned over a new leaf rankled some observers, but the scent of Marty was not so easily washed away.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
Nevertheless, the process and state of play have rankled some in the House, especially on the right.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
The actions have rankled some MAHA enthusiasts who counted on the administration to tackle chronic disease, especially among children.
—Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Coming several years after the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) and its sweeping modernizations, the encyclical rankled many Catholics who had hoped for a more liberal policy on birth control.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Mar. 2026
But the tone of the new pictures also suggests a return to the Romanticism that rankled him in his youth, or at least a lighter, less conflicted touch.
—Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
But some of the changes have rankled the House.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 22 Mar. 2026
The brash kid who rankled Major League Baseball early in his career is now a husband, father of four and one of the best representatives the sport has to offer.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2026
The 49ers have not made the NCAA Tournament since 2005, a 21-year drought that has rankled the team’s supporters for years.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 17 Mar. 2026
The ease with which Chalamet turned over a new leaf rankled some observers, but the scent of Marty was not so easily washed away.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
Nevertheless, the process and state of play have rankled some in the House, especially on the right.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankled
Adjective
-
Police said the two male juveniles became angered when the other three would not take them to buy marijuana.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Soon, the faces of the angered New York City citizens around her soften.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Early in the year, wildfires raged for weeks, dominating national news cycles and essentially shutting down tourism in the area for the time.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The violent rivalry between the WOOO and CHOO gangs has raged for years, with one veteran CHOO member even going as far as telling a 14-year-old shooter to keep up the violence, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The court struck down that portion of the legislation, a move that infuriated Cindy's family.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Hart’s stance infuriated some of his liberal supporters and sparked a Michigan recall petition to oust him from the Senate.—
John T. Shaw,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The victim told police Walton became enraged over not receiving a tip, leading to an argument.—
Stepheny Price , Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2026
-
Rail workers press for tighter security Unions have been fighting to strengthen passenger rail workers' protections for nearly a decade, after several incidents like the 2017 shooting of a conductor by an enraged passenger at the train station in Naperville, Illinois.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The baby leaves can be eaten raw or steamed like spinach.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Sometimes the reception to my style was not ideal, especially when judges would clock my handmade or altered garments as cheap or not properly steamed.—
Gabe Montesanti,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the president doesn’t get annoyed with him once or twice.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Maybe annoyed enough to fix it.—
Nathan Edwards,
The Verge,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bill, who was a Vietnam War veteran, tended to be angry and demanding at home.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 May 2026
-
An angry crowd rioted outside an Australian Outback hospital where a man accused of killing a 5-year-old girl was treated for a vigilante beating.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The mentalist was perhaps moments away from climbing inside the mind of the president on Saturday night when a 31-year-old teacher from Los Angeles stormed toward the White House Correspondents’ Dinner with two guns and fired at law enforcement.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Police said the suspect had a shotgun, a handgun and knives, and stormed the lobby, running past security barricades as Secret Service agents raced toward him.—
Calvin Woodward,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rankled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankled. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
