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
1
2
as in indicator
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 knell
Greg Cote
updated March 29, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
More traditional Bachelor Nation fans annoyed by the influencer-ification of reality TV already considered Paul the death knell for the franchise even before the recent scandal.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Critics across the globe, meanwhile, have described the sentence as a death knell for a once more free Hong Kong—as well as a signal of what could be in store for other places China has its eye on, namely Taiwan.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Should the movie be considered its death knell?
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knell
Noun
Florida is technically still alive in the NHL playoff hunt but not realistically -- with Saturday’s 5-2 loss at the Islanders close to a death knell.
—Greg Cote
updated March 29, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
More traditional Bachelor Nation fans annoyed by the influencer-ification of reality TV already considered Paul the death knell for the franchise even before the recent scandal.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Critics across the globe, meanwhile, have described the sentence as a death knell for a once more free Hong Kong—as well as a signal of what could be in store for other places China has its eye on, namely Taiwan.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Should the movie be considered its death knell?
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knell
Verb
-
Yet all such arguments ring hollow today.—
Sheldon H. Jacobson,
Twin Cities,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Barely wide enough to handle a summer crowd of single-lane traffic, pedestrians, and bell-ringing cyclists (not to mention the percussion of Away and Rimowa wheels on the pavement), Commercial Street runs nearly three miles along Provincetown Harbor.—
Cameron Sperance,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Magaletti ventures a tentative introduction of brushes on snares; following the muted peal of distant thunder, upsammy chimes in with a plangent synthesizer sequence reminiscent of Arovane and other IDM producers from around the turn of the millennium.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Such extreme pessimism has historically acted as a contrarian indicator for markets, Hartnett said, with prior lows in sentiment coinciding with key turning points for equities, including in October 2023 and April 2025.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Rise was invented by third-grader Lucas Ye as part of a public contest to come up with a mascot that could serve as a zero-gravity indicator.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Every year since, on April 15, public officials lay wreaths at the two sites where the bombs went off as the bells toll at The Old South Church.—
Brandon Truitt,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Tehran, which has reportedly been tolling some ships seeking transit through the Strait of Hormuz, has vowed to retaliate against any military vessels in the strait.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 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
-
Market wobbled, then rallied on signals that Tehran might still want to talk, with investors assessing the blockade as brinkmanship as expectations for a possible deal rise.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The call to invest in America First is strong, but there may be signals that faith in Brand USA is waning.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The robot will chime when the process is done.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
An alarm that chimes instead of buzzes.—
Stephen Watson,
Robb Report,
14 Apr. 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
Cite this Entry
“Knell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knell. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
