as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
there's always one ding-dong in the tour group who wanders off and gets lost
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Recent Examples of ding-dong
Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Legal experts note people playing ding-dong ditch can also face charges, with offenses ranging from criminal trespass to disorderly conduct.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, an 11-year-old boy in Houston was shot and killed while playing the seemingly harmless prank of ding-dong-ditch.
—Stephanie Murray, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
In their search for a late-night ding-dong ditcher, a California homeowner discovered a bear pulling a prank.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
In 2020, three 16-year-olds were killed when a man rammed his car into their vehicle in retaliation for pulling a ding-dong-ditch prank on him.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
In California, a 45-year-old man who ran down a group of ding-dong ditch pranksters, killing three teenagers, was sentenced in 2023 to life in prison.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2025
Three kids playing a ding-dong ditch prank in a southwest Florida neighborhood ended up getting chased down and nearly hit by one resident in a car, authorities said.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
Bomer is good when Jerry the ding-dong must navigate a moment of real sentiment or complication; the juxtaposition is effective.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
In North Carolina, a juvenile was shot in the leg after a homeowner fired at a vehicle during a late-night ding-dong ditch-style prank, according to police.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Legal experts note people playing ding-dong ditch can also face charges, with offenses ranging from criminal trespass to disorderly conduct.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, an 11-year-old boy in Houston was shot and killed while playing the seemingly harmless prank of ding-dong-ditch.
—Stephanie Murray, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
In their search for a late-night ding-dong ditcher, a California homeowner discovered a bear pulling a prank.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
In 2020, three 16-year-olds were killed when a man rammed his car into their vehicle in retaliation for pulling a ding-dong-ditch prank on him.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
In California, a 45-year-old man who ran down a group of ding-dong ditch pranksters, killing three teenagers, was sentenced in 2023 to life in prison.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2025
Three kids playing a ding-dong ditch prank in a southwest Florida neighborhood ended up getting chased down and nearly hit by one resident in a car, authorities said.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
Bomer is good when Jerry the ding-dong must navigate a moment of real sentiment or complication; the juxtaposition is effective.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ding-dong
Noun
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Friends with a sudden devotion to nature begin making plans to convene in parks; TurboTax becomes your closest email companion; your risk of injury at the hands of a lunatic on a City Bike, haunted by the memory of a New Year’s resolution to exercise, may increase.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
25 Mar. 2026
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio wasn’t far behind, saying the war is being waged against religious lunatics.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Prices at the auction were gong up and up.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim were among the first fools brave enough to go live-action on Adult Swim, setting the template for shows like Check It Out!—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Only fools would think differently.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In Georgia, the protests come just days after ICE officers were deployed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and cities like Oakwood and Social Circle clash with the federal government over ICE detention facilities being built in their districts.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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After a mostly peaceful rally, demonstrators clashed with police, with officers firing rubber bullets, deploying flash-bangs and using tear gas on crowds after people threw rocks, bricks, bottles and commercial-grade fireworks at law enforcement.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
One daughter stuck to a golden goose is a tragedy.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
In retaliation, Afroman released several songs about the experience, made music videos using his security-cam footage, and generally was a silly goose about the whole thing.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The bells that dangled off her red tunic jingled.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Unpredictable and complex, this film has quite a few tricks stuffed in its stockings that will leave you shocked and your bells fully jingled.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Future transshipment rules, for instance, could ding individual components that are made in one country—China, again, is a good bet—and then integrated into a product without enough of a transformation in another before winding up in the United States.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Nov. 2025
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La Cañada resident Trent Sanders, who frequently dings California’s liberal politicos in emails to me and my colleagues, thinks Trump is generally on the right track three months into his term, but with a few caveats.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Constipation Increase your fiber intake with whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Noting that discussion of the gas-tax rebate has disappeared at the Capitol, Candelora said he had not been summoned to the governor’s office for a nuts-and-bolts meeting on how and when the gasoline tax could be cut.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ding-dong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ding-dong. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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