1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

ding-dongs 1 of 2

noun

plural of ding-dong
as in lunatics
a person who lacks good sense or judgment there's always one ding-dong in the tour group who wanders off and gets lost

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ding-dongs

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of ding-dong
as in jingles

Related 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 ding-dongs
Noun
If, however, Madrid find themselves in end-to-end ding-dongs next season — the kind that Guardiola spent his career, and particularly his final season at City, trying to avoid — then Bernardo may not be the man for the occasion. — Sam Lee, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ding-dongs
  1. lunatics
  2. tinkles
  3. nuts
  4. plunks
  5. fools
  6. clashes
  7. geese
  8. clinks
Noun
  • Republicans see an opportunity here, portraying progressive and socialist Democrats as lunatics and communists.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • While sane Americans were celebrating the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, the lunatics in Portland, Oregon were cheering along as two men made out on a baseball field during a 'Heated Rivalry' theme night.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of lunatics
Verb
  • As the hotel’s doorman, complete with top hat and tails, opens the door to its opulent lobby and a piano player tinkles keys in the distance, that dream solidifies into reality.
    — Rob LeDonne, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Mar. 2024
Definition of tinkles
Noun
  • My pungent plateful grew in strength from tomme to Shropshire blue, accompanied by crusty bread, fruit and nuts.
    — Adrienne Wyper, TheWeek, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Poblano peppers are charred and peeled, then stuffed with picadillo, a mix of ground beef, spices, nuts and seasonal fruits such as pears and apples.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of nuts
Verb
  • Things couldn’t be better, until someone plunks their stuff down right in front of you, blocking your view of the water.
    — John Natale, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026
  • That’s like staying in the dugout during a bench-clearing brawl after a pitcher plonks a batter, then offering the offender a handshake the next inning.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of plunks
Noun
  • Like Rick Nelson’s fools, the Zellners also rush in where angels fear to tread, and their love for the bizarre, the cool and the crazy is, like the epidemic of emotions facing the Alpha Gang, wildly infectious.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Some want to live vicariously through them, while others joke about the poor fools who fell for their tactics.
    — Owen Carry, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of fools
Verb
  • Paul clashes with Neeley, Matthews, and Draper before storming out of the party, only to return and continue arguing with the group.
    — Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • According to The Ankler, the film’s plot centers on a Black reenactor at a historical slave plantation museum who clashes with the Midwest town’s racist mayor, played by Parker.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of clashes
Noun
  • Its words were shaped by quills fashioned from the feathers of molting geese.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Genzel grew up chasing mallards and Canada geese in the Illinois River Valley.
    — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of geese
Verb
  • 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
  • Each robot, remotely operated, clinks glasses and gestures in unison, embodying the camaraderie and hope of the musical’s revolutionaries.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Definition of clinks

Browse Nearby Words

ding-donging
ding-dongs
dinge
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ding-dongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ding-dongs. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All