clank

1 of 2

verb

clanked; clanking; clanks

intransitive verb

1
: to make a clank or series of clanks
the radiator hissed and clanked
2
: to go with or as if with a clank
tanks clanking through the streets

transitive verb

: to cause to clank
clankingly adverb

clank

2 of 2

noun

: a sharp brief metallic ringing sound

Examples of clank in a Sentence

Verb The radiator hissed and clanked. The empty can clanked along the sidewalk. a ghost clanking its chains Noun the car is making a funny clank, and this can't be good
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Cooper Flagg’s runner clanked off the back of the rim with two seconds left as the Mavericks lost their third in a row on Wednesday night, falling to the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 101-99. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025 The keys clank on the glass table. Davon Loeb, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
The tables were empty and the bar deserted, the only sign of life the clank and swish of dishes being washed in the back, through the swinging double doors. Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025 In the big, anonymous hotel, the air-conditioning kicked on with a startling clank. Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clank

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1656, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clank was in 1656

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clank. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

clank

1 of 2 verb
: to make or move with a clank or series of clanks

clank

2 of 2 noun
: a sharp short ringing sound

More from Merriam-Webster on clank

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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