rumbling

noun

rum·​bling ˈrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 

1

: rumble

2

: general but unofficial talk or opinion often of dissatisfaction

—usually used in plural

rumblings of political trouble

—Anthony Burgess

Examples of rumbling in a Sentence

There were rumblings about rising prices.

Recent Examples on the Web

Though filming clearly has not yet begun, there are rumblings (relayed to TVLine by reader newsjunkie) that the series will film in Toronto, save for some on-location establishing shots. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 25 Mar. 2025

Many residents took to online platforms to describe a sudden jolt and a brief rumbling, with some reporting minor shaking of furniture. —William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025

President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China and rumblings of economic weakness alarmed investors who fear the market outlook has taken a turn for the worse. —Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Mar. 2025

Amid rumblings of potential new charges, Mr. Spiro, Mr. Burck and Mr. Bove appear to have structured what the defense lawyers likely hoped would be the end of the corruption case against Mr. Adams. —Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rumbling

• bumbling
• crumbling
• fumbling
• grumbling
• humbling
• mumbling
• stumbling
• tumbling