rattle on
phrasal verb
rattled on; rattling on; rattles on
informal
: to talk for a long time about things that are not interesting or important
He rattled on (and on), but I tuned him out.
—often + aboutShe rattled on about her sister's children.
Examples of rattle on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Inside, there’s another one to lock down larger items that might rattle on descents.
—
Matt Beer, Outside Online, 2 Nov. 2022
While August's jobless rate marked a slight monthly decline, market participants were rattled on Friday as payrolls expanded by less than economists predicted during the month.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2024
Cheerfully sipping a can of Coke, Mary Jane rattles on about subway buskers and a clogged sink until she’s suddenly interrupted by beeping from the next room.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
After North Korea’s saber rattling on Tuesday, Seoul responded by sending eight rockets toward the North Korean border and releasing images of its own missile tests.
—Katharine H.s. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2017
He was rattled on an incomplete pass attempt on fourth-and-3 from the Eagles’ 48-yard line.
—Dan Gelston, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024
Video From The New Yorker Your Body vs. Extreme Heat
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
JUST LISTEN Alarm: This alarm clangs when your partner is rattling on about the day’s annoyances and frustrations.
—Bob Odenkirk, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
Russia continues its saber rattling on the eastern periphery.
—Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2017
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Matt Beer, Outside Online, 2 Nov. 2022
While August's jobless rate marked a slight monthly decline, market participants were rattled on Friday as payrolls expanded by less than economists predicted during the month.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2024
Cheerfully sipping a can of Coke, Mary Jane rattles on about subway buskers and a clogged sink until she’s suddenly interrupted by beeping from the next room.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
After North Korea’s saber rattling on Tuesday, Seoul responded by sending eight rockets toward the North Korean border and releasing images of its own missile tests.
—Katharine H.s. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2017
He was rattled on an incomplete pass attempt on fourth-and-3 from the Eagles’ 48-yard line.
—Dan Gelston, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024
Video From The New Yorker Your Body vs. Extreme Heat
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
JUST LISTEN Alarm: This alarm clangs when your partner is rattling on about the day’s annoyances and frustrations.
—Bob Odenkirk, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
Russia continues its saber rattling on the eastern periphery.
—Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2017
Dictionary Entries Near rattle on
Cite this Entry
“Rattle on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rattle%20on. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share