Verb The ice tinkled in the glass. A piano was tinkling in the background. He tinkled a small bell. Noun the soothing tinkle of the wind chime on the back porch

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Dinners were often silent, interrupted only by tinkling ice in a whiskey glass. — Robin Antalek, Longreads, "The Bigamist’s Daughter," 22 Apr. 2020 The Spirio | r, which debuted last month on Steinway’s 166th birthday, allows users of the piano brand to record themselves tinkling the keys, and then adjust the recording themselves via the Spirio app. — Rob Ledonne, Billboard, "Integral to Over a Century of Piano Culture, Steinway & Sons Looks to the Future," 17 Apr. 2019 But this is a movie that's more efficient than emotionally affecting, a factor underlined by the heavy-handed use of Edward Shearmur's pensive score dominated by tinkling piano. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Four Good Days': Film Review | Sundance 2020," 26 Jan. 2020 On their shelves are the previous decade’s big moneymakers — tinkling meditation balls, replica swords, qipaos and noisemakers. — Los Angeles Times, "Column: Chinatown without Chinese grocery stores, and the delicate balance of ethnic communities," 23 Sep. 2019 The Sugarplum Fairy, here called Sugar Rum Cherry, dances to a slow, cheeky, boom-chicka-boom number, decidedly naughtier than Tchaikovsky’s tinkling melody for the celesta. — New York Times, "Visions of Sugar Rum Cherries Tap Dance in Her Head," 16 Dec. 2019 Rhoda meets Mary Richards, played by the show’s namesake, when Mary moves into the turreted Victorian house where Rhoda has fashioned a home in the attic, fringe beads tinkling in the doorway. — Emily Langer, Washington Post, "Valerie Harper, actress beloved as the chronically single, irrepressibly funny Rhoda Morgenstern, dies at 80," 30 Aug. 2019 Ethereal notes of a glass harmonica, its sound resembling that of clinking glasses, tinkled as incense wafted through the air. — National Geographic, "Was this hypnotic health craze an elaborate hoax or a medical breakthrough?," 5 Mar. 2019 Afternoon Tea at The Savoy Afternoon tea here takes place in the Thames Foyer, which features an enormous domed glass ceiling that floods the room with soft light, and a birdcage-like indoor gazebo, inside of which a pianist tinkles elegantly. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "15 Best Places for Afternoon Tea in London," 3 Mar. 2018 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun While the familiar tinkle of the Red Kettle bells can still be heard throughout the next few weeks, there are also fewer bells throughout the nation because of the pandemic. — Kelly Tyko, USA TODAY, "Red Kettle bells are still ringing as Salvation Army braces for fewer donations," 3 Dec. 2020 In the center of the courtyard, the tinkle of glasses can be heard over the asthmatic gurgle of the fountain. — New York Times, "11 Hotels to Visit in Your Dreams," 11 Nov. 2020 Walking on the broken porcelain conjures the most enchanting crack-crunch-tinkle. — Vanessa Hua, SFChronicle.com, "Beach trip provides lessons across time," 10 Sep. 2020 The tinkle of ornaments jostled. Giddy laughter, and the caroling tones of José Feliciano or Bing Crosby in the background. — Paul Stephen, ExpressNews.com, "Easy Christmas morning empanadas — sweet and savory — and hot chocolate," 18 Dec. 2019 Light rain above tinkles musically, reaching a crescendo when heavier storms pass. — Elizabeth Preston, Science | AAAS, "A growing sensory smog threatens the ability of fish to communicate, navigate, and survive," 20 June 2019 Sound designer Matt Reed mixed the actors’ voices with sounds that evoked the narratives, like the tinkle of a wine glass on a first date, or the mechanical creaks of a plane in a deep dive to the ground. — Nora Mcgreevy, BostonGlobe.com, "‘Modern Love Live’ brings reflections on mortality, platonic love, and emergency room visits," 18 June 2019 The notes were few, as a large orchestra thinned to the tinkle of harp, mandolin and celesta littering soft, ethereal drones in the select strings and winds. — Mark Swed, latimes.com, "Mahler's 'Song of the Earth' and sky and sea, the L.A. Phil way," 6 Apr. 2018 The music drones and burbles, tinkles and undulates, taking its time and lingering over instrumental stretches. — New York Times, "15 Pop, Rock and Jazz Concerts to Check Out in NYC This Weekend," 5 Apr. 2018

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