rustled; rustling
ˈrə-s(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to make or cause a rustle
2
a
: to act or move with energy or speed
b
: to forage food
3
: to steal cattle
1
: to cause to rustle
2
a
: to obtain by one's own exertions
—often used with up
able to rustle up $5,000 bail—
Jack McCallum
Jack McCallum
b
: forage
3
: to steal (livestock) especially from a farm or ranch
: a quick succession or confusion of small sounds
Examples of rustle in a Sentence
Verb
The trees rustled in the wind.
Her skirt rustled as she walked.
He rustled the papers on his desk.
Noun
He heard a rustle of leaves behind him.
Recent Examples on the Web
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2025
Monk said the clear blue skies above are a cause for optimism, even though the wind was rustling oak leaves and palm branches near the Topanga Public Library.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
Bill Frist, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
The noises of all the organisms living together in a particular place—the trill of birdsong, thrum of insect wings, rustle of leaves, cacophony of yips, or a lonely midnight howl—make up that setting’s biophony, an audio signature of life.
—The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rustle
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Verb
Quaking aspens are known for their display of fluttering, rustling leaves in the lightest of breezes.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2025
Monk said the clear blue skies above are a cause for optimism, even though the wind was rustling oak leaves and palm branches near the Topanga Public Library.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
The air was thick with humidity, and the forest seemed alive with sounds — colorful birds, darting insects, cutting ants, and the frequent rustle of something unseen.
—Bill Frist, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
The noises of all the organisms living together in a particular place—the trill of birdsong, thrum of insect wings, rustle of leaves, cacophony of yips, or a lonely midnight howl—make up that setting’s biophony, an audio signature of life.
—The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rustle
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Cite this Entry
“Rustle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rustle. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rustle
1 of 2 verb
rus·tle
ˈrəs-əl
rustled; rustling
ˈrəs-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to make or cause to make a rustle
2
: to act or move with energy
3
: to steal (as cattle) from the range
rustle
2 of 2 noun
: a quick series of small sounds
the rustle of leaves
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