knell 1 of 2

Definition of knellnext
as in to ring
to make the clear sound heard when metal vibrates the church bells knelled to mark the death of the nation's beloved leader

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

knell

2 of 2

noun

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 knell
Noun
Intriguingly, while many predicted that the COVID shutdown would sound the death knell for much of the music instrument and equipment industries, North American sales for 2021 rose 20 percent to set an all-time record of $8,906,561,000. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026 The stark acknowledgment likely signals the official death knell of the 2019 agreement that largely stopped the two states from swiping Kansas City metro businesses from one another. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 29 Dec. 2025 That should be a death knell for nearly any team, much less one in a reset year. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025 However, Seymour views Medicare coverage as a catalyst for merger and acquisition activity rather than an immediate death knell. Luke Fountain, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for knell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knell
Verb
  • The Russian anthem, which hadn't played at the Paralympics in more than a decade, rang out eight times at Milan Cortina after the victories of Russian athletes who were competing under their own flag again at the Paralympics for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Grams roared, ringing across the hardwood.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The silence of the lake—save for the gentle peal of church bells on Sunday mornings and the plop of ducks plunging beneath the water surface—is a rare and unforgettable pleasure.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Mar. 2026
  • The solemn peal of a temple bell rang out 108 times — an auspicious number — as people flocked to the Baoan Temple in Taipei on Tuesday morning.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • To get a more accurate genetic indicator of cancer risk, my mother encouraged me to get my DNA tested for the BRCA1 gene mutation.
    Zachary Bernstein, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
  • With its large display, single-button operation and three-color LED air quality indicator, this monitor offers a simple way to take a look at what irritants may be floating around you.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Bells at Westminster Abbey—where his parents had married over two years prior—tolled continuously for three hours in celebration.
    Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Since Eichenberg spent the 2025 season on PUP, his one-year contract signed to return to Miami at the end of his four-year rookie deal tolled into 2026.
    David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
  • These signals are public, so anyone with a relatively cheap receiver and a little bit of know-how can decode the signals to display a plane’s locations digitally.
    Graham Rapier, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
  • South Windsor police have charged Rodriguez with evading responsibility, disobeying the signal of an officer, reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit and improper use of a marker, license or registration.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Sharp moves in bond yields underline the market uncertainty, chiming with the huge swings in oil and gas since the conflict began, as analysts say that persistent higher-for-longer energy prices will drive central bank policy responses.
    Hugh Leask, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Jury President Wim Wenders praised the film for its portrait of life under totalitarianism saying the story would chime with and serve as a wakeup call for people all over the world.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Cloudy chords, meditative tintinnabulation, the whoosh of wind and rain, blocks of iridescent brass — all these discrete sonorities trundled by, like a train of boxcars with panoramas painted on their sides.
    Justin Davidson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Shivaree, chthonian, erumpent, tintinnabulation, exonumia, requiescat, deipnosophist, omphaloskepsis, horripilation, deliquesce, apopemptic.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2021

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Knell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knell. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on knell

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!

More from Merriam-Webster