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Synonyms

rumbling

American  
[ruhm-bling] / ˈrʌm blɪŋ /

noun

  1. Often rumblings. the first signs of dissatisfaction or grievance.

  2. rumble.

Etymology

Origin of rumbling

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; rumble, -ing 1

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.

Thousands of metres beneath the ground, amid suffocating heat, lies one of the keys to Poland's rumbling mining sector -- and the world economy.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Royal scandals increase the glare on issues rumbling beneath the surface.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

Lee had hoped the ADM plant, with its towering silos and trains rumbling in and out of town, would be her last stop.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025

As a kid rumbling by “the Joey P” in the backseat of my mom’s minivan, I never thought about what it really means to decorate a warship for Christmas.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

The instant the yarn hit the floor, a rumbling noise started overhead.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.