rattle around
phrasal verb
rattled around; rattling around; rattles around
informal
: to live or spend time in a place that is very big
Her husband died last year, and now she's just rattling around in that huge house by herself.
We rattled around Europe last summer.
—sometimes used figurativelyAn old song has been rattling around in my head all day.
Examples of rattle around in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Like plenty of catchy quotations, this seems unfair, but with half a point rattling around inside.
—
Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
Naturally, goth was still rattling around, but only in the creases and crevices of culture.
—Tish Weinstock, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2024
Ted was on his knees in the bow, rattling around in his lures and looking for one of the same color as that which had been so rudely smashed off the end of his line.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 27 June 2024
And in the dead of night, children continue to be woken as pet hamsters rattle around in their cages.
—Jessica Pierce, TIME, 23 June 2024
Lahren is a B-list right-wing commentator and influencer who’s rattled around various platforms.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024
The gimp monster, the little critters that rattled around in the basement, and Dylan McDermott in various states of undress are images no one will soon forget.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2024
This is the question that has been rattling around in my brain.
—Kevin Roose, New York Times, 9 May 2024
Lane plays Charlie’s first wife, Martha, who fills her divorced days rattling around an empty mansion and doing step aerobics before entering into an extremely improbable flirtation with Raymond Peepgrass.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 2 May 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
Naturally, goth was still rattling around, but only in the creases and crevices of culture.
—Tish Weinstock, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2024
Ted was on his knees in the bow, rattling around in his lures and looking for one of the same color as that which had been so rudely smashed off the end of his line.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 27 June 2024
And in the dead of night, children continue to be woken as pet hamsters rattle around in their cages.
—Jessica Pierce, TIME, 23 June 2024
Lahren is a B-list right-wing commentator and influencer who’s rattled around various platforms.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024
The gimp monster, the little critters that rattled around in the basement, and Dylan McDermott in various states of undress are images no one will soon forget.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2024
This is the question that has been rattling around in my brain.
—Kevin Roose, New York Times, 9 May 2024
Lane plays Charlie’s first wife, Martha, who fills her divorced days rattling around an empty mansion and doing step aerobics before entering into an extremely improbable flirtation with Raymond Peepgrass.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 2 May 2024
Dictionary Entries Near rattle around
Cite this Entry
“Rattle around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rattle%20around. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share