bells and whistles
plural noun
: items or features that are useful or decorative but not essential : frills
Examples of bells and whistles in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Whether the bells and whistles of this shining new basketball mecca do anything to help its team ascend to Southern California hoops royalty and dethrone the Los Angeles Lakers is a totally different issue.
—
David K. Li, NBC news, 12 Feb. 2026
The nurse checked all your bells and whistles and plugged notes into your chart before noticing that the tape holding your breathing machine in place needed adjusting.
—Jasmin 'iolani Hakes, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
But Mustique isn’t about five-star bells and whistles—not on the surface, at least.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026
Finding good Japanese food in London hasn’t always been the easiest task, given the city’s abundance of mediocre sushi takeaway spots and gaudy central London restaurants serving sub-par fish dressed up with too many bells and whistles.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bells and whistles
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.
David K. Li, NBC news, 12 Feb. 2026
The nurse checked all your bells and whistles and plugged notes into your chart before noticing that the tape holding your breathing machine in place needed adjusting.
—Jasmin 'iolani Hakes, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
But Mustique isn’t about five-star bells and whistles—not on the surface, at least.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026
Finding good Japanese food in London hasn’t always been the easiest task, given the city’s abundance of mediocre sushi takeaway spots and gaudy central London restaurants serving sub-par fish dressed up with too many bells and whistles.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bells and whistles
Cite this Entry
“Bells and whistles.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bells%20and%20whistles. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
