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
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as in indicator
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knell
Laura Kelly, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025
In a way, this sounded the death knell for ironing.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 July 2025
The cuts could also be a potential death knell for local PBS and NPR stations across the country, who rely heavily on government funds to keep the lights on and the public in the know.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 19 July 2025
This week, Riley Green offers up a smoldering heartbreaker of a song, while Dolly Parton reunites with bluegrass group The Grascals on an uplifting new track, and HARDY and ERNEST team up for a new song sounding a death knell for bro country.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for knell
Verb
The United Kingdom, France and Germany took the first step on Thursday in snapping back severe sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, signaling the death knell for the Obama-era nuclear deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025
In a way, this sounded the death knell for ironing.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 July 2025
The cuts could also be a potential death knell for local PBS and NPR stations across the country, who rely heavily on government funds to keep the lights on and the public in the know.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 19 July 2025
This week, Riley Green offers up a smoldering heartbreaker of a song, while Dolly Parton reunites with bluegrass group The Grascals on an uplifting new track, and HARDY and ERNEST team up for a new song sounding a death knell for bro country.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for knell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knell
Verb
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This was essentially a cost-saving and simplification exercise and few alarm bells rang at the time, not least because BHP retained a standard listing on the LSE, allowing British investors to remain exposed to the business.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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Students crowded around dormitory screens, a wedding paused for the final kick, and car horns rang out as flags streamed from open windows.—
Nina Subkhanberdina,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Amid grills cooking savory barbecue, bubbles blowing from an ice cream truck, face painting and peals of laughter from kids in a nearby bouncy house, Justine Mosely Stephens was struggling not to tear up.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
6 July 2025
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Amal wore a strapless white Tamara Ralph Haute Couture gown which was draped in peals from top to bottom, with some wrapped around her arms below the shoulder.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2025
Noun
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Some waffle irons will indicate when the waffle is ready, but if your waffle iron doesn’t have an indicator, check for doneness when the steam subsides.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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Emptying the dust cup was simple thanks to clear arrow indicators, although detaching it from the wand first added a small inconvenience.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Each year, bells are tolled in memory of the crew at the Detroit's Mariners Church.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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For whom the black hole tolls The emission of gravitational waves from a binary black hole merger comes in three phases.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The spate of ding-dong-ditch killings has led some authorities to urge kids and teens not to do the prank at all.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
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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
Noun
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Layoffs can occur for many reasons; while they can be viewed as a signal about how companies view economic headwinds, the reasons may also be more localized to individual companies amid restructuring or plans to maximize profits.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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The left and right side will alternate red and green signals, allowing one vehicle at a tie to merge onto the freeway.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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It’s also brilliantly arranged, from the chiming guitar on the intro to the way the rhythm section makes its entrance (McCartney-esque bassline and rat-a-tat snare) before pulling back on the chorus, where Ruess’ vocal appears to be floating in space on a bed of keyboards and piano.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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Outside, bells chimed four o’clock.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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Shivaree, chthonian, erumpent, tintinnabulation, exonumia, requiescat, deipnosophist, omphaloskepsis, horripilation, deliquesce, apopemptic.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Knell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knell. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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