clink 1 of 2

noun

Definition of clinknext
slang
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody I once spent a night in the clink, and it's an experience I don't want to repeat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clink

2 of 2

verb

ˈkliŋk How to pronounce clink (audio)
as in to jingle
to make a repeated sharp light ringing sound coins clinking in his pocket as he traipsed down the street

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of clink
Noun
The beer brand encourages users to exchange details or connect on social media with each clink. — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026 As the bullet weight clinks and clacks along the bottom, bass will key in on your rig and follow it. — Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
In the next shot, the couple clinked wine glasses as Gomez took a bite of cheese, before Blanco filmed marinara sauce being laid in a pan. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026 The smell of sterile floors, gowns, instruments on clinking metal trays. — Rebekah Taussig, Time, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for clink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clink
  1. jail
  2. jingle
  3. prison
  4. tinkle
  5. penitentiary
  6. ring
  7. chink
  8. rattle
Noun
  • Trump had called for the leakers to face long-term jail sentences.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In 2024, Indonesia revised its anti-wildlife trafficking law to bring in stricter fines and longer jail sentences.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of jail
Verb
  • Just when things seemed too contentious and/or boring to a late-night viewer, Stewart knew when to jingle the keys in our face.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 July 2026
  • On the walls, a few pots hang from a copper rod, a dinner bell waits to be jingled, and an ancient clock keeps time.
    — Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 2 July 2026
Definition of jingle
Noun
  • The 911 call recordings, as reported by the Associated Press, showed that first responders and prison officials did not know whether a request for emergency help from within the execution chamber was legitimate.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Eady-Williams sentenced Pham and Salerno to life in prison without possibility of parole for the murder charges.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of prison
Verb
  • The small fragments of colorful glass, strung along together, produce soothing sounds, their tinkling notes wafting through the air alongside a chorus of windchimes and the sweet scent of plumeria blooming in the garden.
    — Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026
  • Food and drink Fontana restaurant is the main attraction here, with an inviting courtyard and a tinkling fountain lending a European feel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 June 2026
Definition of tinkle
Noun
  • Mexico has 276 prisons, including 14 federal penitentiaries and 249 state prisons.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Prisoners from this penitentiary were enlisted to help build the state’s capitol building just a few miles away in downtown Boise.
    — Mindy Sink, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of penitentiary
Verb
  • Mindy Miranda said her 8-year-old daughter was in her third-grade classroom upstairs when shots rang out.
    — Kaila Nichols, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The tables were draped in salmon-pink tablecloths and ringed with bright red chairs, and each plate had a napkin folded into a swan.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of ring
Verb
  • The great room’s pale logs with visible chinking contrast with ultra white floors and drywall.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 25 May 2026
  • The halcyon days of chinking champagne flutes, spacious seating, and sense of adventure has long been replaced by the budget sardine-can approach to air travel.
    — Chris Haslam, Wired News, 1 May 2026
Definition of chink
Verb
  • At least 19 people have been killed, thousands of flights have been affected and global markets have been rattled.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The vast majority of attention will train on Manning, who looked rattled once again in his fourth season at Texas.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of rattle

Browse Nearby Words

clinics
clink
clinked
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Cite this Entry

“Clink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clink. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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