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
There's really nothing pretty about a boxy hunk of aluminum jutting out of a pickup bed or rattling around behind the main vehicle.
—
New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
While the trader's identity remains a mystery, speculation continues to rattle around the internet about whether the person had insider information.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 Jan. 2026
But unlike Jay Kelly, for whom doors opened after landing a breakout role as a young hotshot in an acclaimed movie, Clooney rattled around in low-budget movies and in guest spots on TV shows for years.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Dec. 2025
This is the age-old predicament that rattles around my brain during the holidays.
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 17 Dec. 2025
After some good pressure created by a Nikita Zadorov rush, the puck was rattling around the slot and Fraser Minten was able to direct it to Tanner Jeannot in the right circle.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 27 Nov. 2025
This machine is also virtually silent to operate—many of its stovetop competitors involve teetering pressure gauges that rattle around on top of the machine, or emit loud whistles of steam throughout the cooking process.
—Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
For the first time in 19 years, just two of us and our 12-pound Maltese Shih Tzu will be rattling around inside our family home.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2025
Nashville The idea rattled around downtown Nashville like a runaway train between 3rd and 4th avenues, up and down Printers Alley.
—Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 27 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Rattle around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rattle%20around. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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