had rankled
- past perfect of rankle.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the apparent lack of progress on the Seahawks’ front had rankled other NFL owners over the years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026
“What always had rankled me was the fact that my sister is a little smarter than I am,” Segal said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2022
American and European diplomats shuttled to the blast-wall-protected villas of the country’s political elite, asking them to give President Ashraf Ghani some space to keep pursuing the reforms that had rankled so many.
From New York Times ● Dec. 12, 2017
It was a gesture that reflected vindication, because what had rankled Sampras much more than comments about his decline were suggestions that it might be linked to matrimony.
From New York Times ● Sep. 8, 2012
She could not keep out of her voice the bitterness that had rankled all these weeks.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
