knell

noun \ ˈnel \

|Updated on: 29 Jul 2018

Examples: knell in a Sentence

Definition of knell

1 : a stroke or sound of a bell especially when rung slowly (as for a death, funeral, or disaster)

2 : an indication of the end or the failure of something

sounded the death knell for our hopes

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Recent Examples of knell from the Web

The killing, or bleaching, of the algae — which have a symbiotic relationship with the coral — is a death knell for the whole structure.

— peter fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "Hawaii to ban sunscreen that damages coral," 7 July 2018
Those words are a death knell for a designer who built a brand on those exact ideals.

— cam wolf, GQ, "Bottega Veneta Designer Tomas Maier Departs," 14 June 2018
Moseley’s retirement in 1986 was the death knell for a style, and also for an era.

— michael farber, SI.com, "Mark Moseley, Last of the Straight-On Kickers," 2 July 2018
Ford itself pulled out of the city a little over two decades ago amid a looming financial crisis, potentially sounding the death knell for the city’s economic prospects.

— alex bazeley, Curbed, "Ford taps Snøhetta to design new downtown Detroit campus," 26 June 2018
Systrom’s death knell for any video that isn’t vertical may be premature.

— louise matsakis, WIRED, "With IGTV, Instagram Takes Aim at YouTube," 20 June 2018
Unfortunately, the school couldn't ultimately survive low enrollment, which proved to be its death knell.

— jeff tully, latimes.com, "Tully Talk: Recalling fond memories of Bell-Jeff," 23 May 2018
But Republicans’ actions, while perhaps maladroit, aren’t exactly a death knell to the marketplaces, either.

— Washington Post, "The Health 202: Half of Americans think Obamacare marketplaces are crumbling," 3 Apr. 2018
An uninspiring loan spell at Bournemouth seemed to signal the death-knell of Wilshere’s Arsenal career.

— SI.com, "The Re-Emergence of England's Great White Hope: Why Jack Wilshere Must Make the 2018 World Cup Squad," 5 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'knell.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of knell

see ²knell

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

knell

verb

Definition of knell

knelled; knelling; knells

transitive verb

: to summon or announce by or as if by a knell

intransitive verb

1 : to ring especially for a death, funeral, or disaster : toll

2 : to sound in an ominous manner or with an ominous effect

See knell defined for kids

Examples of knell in a Sentence

the church bells knelled to mark the death of the nation's beloved leader

Origin and Etymology of knell

Middle English, from Old English cnyllan; akin to Middle High German erknellen to toll

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

knell Synonyms

Synonyms

bong, chime, peal, ring, toll;

echo, resonate, resound, reverberate;

KNELL Defined for English Language Learners

knell

noun

Definition of knell for English Language Learners

: a sound of a bell when it is rung slowly because someone has died

KNELL Defined for Kids

knell

noun \ ˈnel \

Definition of knell for Students

1 : a stroke or sound of a bell especially when rung slowly for a death, funeral, or disaster

2 : an indication of the end or failure of something

“… it sounds the death knell of our society.”
—Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea

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See words that rhyme with knell Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for knell Spanish Central: Translation of knell Nglish: Translation of knell for Spanish speakers

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knell

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knell

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