tinkled; tinkling
ˈtiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to sound or make known (the time) by a tinkle
2
a
: to cause to make a tinkle
b
: to produce by tinkling
tinkle a tune
1
: a series of short high ringing or clinking sounds
2
: a jingling effect in verse or prose
Examples of tinkle in a Sentence
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
Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
The background music, pleasantly tinkled nightly by a real person sitting at a real piano, mixes in pop melodies alongside the Broadway classics and jazz standards.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 May 2025
Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2025
Amid the tinkle of glassware and clang of cutlery, Saru Jayaraman, an L.A. attorney and president of One Fair Wage, a national coalition pushing to raise wages in the service sector, emphasized the urgency of addressing a steep increase in the cost of living.
—Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinkle
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Verb
This was a trial that would surely force many SUVs and pick-ups to tinkle a puddle of oil in fear—a steep volcano climb.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
The background music, pleasantly tinkled nightly by a real person sitting at a real piano, mixes in pop melodies alongside the Broadway classics and jazz standards.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 May 2025
Noun
The water fountains are trickling; wind chimes tinkle and shimmer in the breeze, and the store’s seemingly endless lines of indoor and outdoor décor are available to celebrate each season and occasion.
—Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2025
Amid the tinkle of glassware and clang of cutlery, Saru Jayaraman, an L.A. attorney and president of One Fair Wage, a national coalition pushing to raise wages in the service sector, emphasized the urgency of addressing a steep increase in the cost of living.
—Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinkle
Cite this Entry
“Tinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinkle. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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