tinkle

verb

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tin·kle | \ ˈtiŋ-kəl

tinkled; tinkling\ ˈtiŋ-k(ə-)liŋ

Definition of tinkle

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to make or emit a tinkle or a sound suggestive of a tinkle

2 : urinate

transitive verb

1 : to sound or make known (the time) by a tinkle

2a : to cause to make a tinkle

b : to produce by tinkling tinkle a tune

tinkle

noun

Definition of tinkle (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a series of short high ringing or clinking sounds

2 : a jingling effect in verse or prose

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about tinkle

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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: Verb 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 There’s often a pianist tinkling away in the corner of the airy elegant room in the afternoon. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "15 Best Places for Afternoon Tea in London," 3 Mar. 2018 The only sound breaking through the hot afternoon air comes from a snorting pair of cows in the neighbor’s yard, and tinkling wind chimes hang over the porch. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, "In Catemaco, Mexico's 'Land of the Sorcerers'," 29 Mar. 2018 Curlers rarely merit those up-close-and-personal Olympic bios accompanied by tinkling piano. — Author: Karen Heller, Anchorage Daily News, "Think you could be an Olympic curler? Don’t make these women laugh.," 31 Jan. 2018 The sound of a piano softly tinkles in the background, gradually building (strings are optional now) into a fermata. — Cmo Today Staff, WSJ, "CMO Today’s Cranky Holiday Wish List," 22 Dec. 2017 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun 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 The tags tinkle in the wind and give the dog a permanent sparkle. — Mary Forgione, latimes.com, "Yeah, there's a giant bunny in that vineyard — no foolin' — and 9 animals, vegetables and antlers you'll want to stop and see," 1 Apr. 2018 The music drones and burbles, tinkles and undulates, taking its time and lingering over instrumental stretches as if people are still willing to experience a whole album from start to finish. — Jon Pareles, New York Times, "Music Is a Sanctuary From Chaos on Yo La Tengo’s ‘There’s a Riot Going On’," 14 Mar. 2018 From the tinkle, the researchers fished out 181 bacteria spanning the diversity of microbes in the bladder and sequenced their genomes. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Never-before-seen viruses that can kill bacteria stream from women’s bladders," 1 Feb. 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.