trundle

American  

[truhn-dl] / ˈtrʌn dl /

verb (used with object)

trundled, trundling

1. to cause (a circular object) to roll along; roll.

2. to convey or move in a wagon, cart, or other wheeled vehicle; wheel.

   The farmer trundled his produce to market in a rickety wagon.

3. Archaic. to cause to rotate; twirl; spin.

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verb (used without object)

trundled, trundling

1. to roll along.

2. to move or run on a wheel or wheels.

3. to travel in a wheeled vehicle.

   He got into his car and trundled downtown.

4. to move or walk with a rolling gait.

noun

1. a small wheel, roller, or the like.

2. a lantern wheel.

3. each of the bars of a lantern wheel.

4. a truck or carriage on low wheels.

trundle British  

/ ˈtrʌndəl /

verb

1. to move heavily on or as if on wheels

   the bus trundled by

2. archaic (tr) to rotate or spin

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noun

1. the act or an instance of trundling

2. a small wheel or roller

3. 1. the pinion of a lantern

   2. any of the bars in a lantern pinion

4. a small truck with low wheels

Other Word Forms

• trundler
  noun
• untrundled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of trundle

First recorded in 1555–65; variant of trindle

Explanation

When you trundle something, you move it or roll it awkwardly. You might have to trundle your broken suitcase down the stairs if you can't find an elevator. When a person trundles, they move slowly and heavily. As a noun, trundle means "a roller," and it usually refers to something on wheels that can be moved around, like a trundle bed, a low bed frame you can slide and store beneath a taller bed. You might roll out the trundle bed when your friend sleeps over, and then try to fall asleep as you listen to your brother trundle around the kitchen looking for a midnight snack.

Example Sentences

Fortunately, for anybody who bought ahead of Friday’s pullback, there is reason to believe stocks could trundle higher in the short term.

From MarketWatch • May 17, 2026

As hungry birds of prey circle above, hundreds of garbage trucks trundle through the town below, leaving trails of rubbish in their wake.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

I know, I know, they’re adorable, with their wide “eyes” and squat toddler-like determination as they trundle along, pausing in careful recalculation whenever they encounter a curb, street sign, a sidewalk cafe table.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

The performers trundle the keyboard instruments out for use and then off again.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

But she said it to the empty darkness of her bedroom, and heard nothing in reply but the low trundle of a distant lorry, making its way through the night.

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• pivot
• revolve
• spin
• swivel
• twirl
• twist
• whirl