rumbled; rumbling
ˈrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to make a low heavy rolling sound
thunder rumbling in the distance
2
: to travel with a low reverberating sound
wagons rumbled into town
3
: to speak in a low rolling tone
4
: to engage in a rumble
1
: to utter or emit in a low rolling voice
2
British
: to reveal or discover the true character of
1
a
: a low heavy continuous reverberating often muffled sound (as of thunder)
b
: low frequency noise in phonographic playback caused by the transmission of mechanical vibrations by the turntable to the pickup
2
: a seat for servants behind the body of a carriage
3
a
: widespread expression of dissatisfaction or unrest
b
: a street fight especially among gangs
Synonyms
Examples of rumble in a Sentence
Verb
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
The train rumbles through town twice a day.
We watched as the trucks rumbled past.
The gangs rumbled in the alley.
Noun
I was awakened by the rumble of a train passing by.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen J. Nesbitt, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Family Farms is Broward County’s lone strawberry u-pick, home to 10 acres of strawberry plants, along with cows, chickens, bunnies and tractor hayrides that rumble to life on the weekends.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2025
Brian Seibert, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
There is no background rumble, music is crisp and precise, and the soundstage is wide.
—Brad Moon, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rumble 
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Verb
As aftershocks rumbled and tsunami warnings rang out, teachers hurried the children to higher ground behind the school.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Family Farms is Broward County’s lone strawberry u-pick, home to 10 acres of strawberry plants, along with cows, chickens, bunnies and tractor hayrides that rumble to life on the weekends.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
The show opens with the rumble of Tuvan throat singing and the piercing dissonance of Bulgarian harmony, but most of what follows is a smooth surface untroubled by such disturbances.
—Brian Seibert, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
There is no background rumble, music is crisp and precise, and the soundstage is wide.
—Brad Moon, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rumble
Dictionary Entries Near rumble
Cite this Entry
“Rumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rumble. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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