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
Joe Smith, New York Times, 10 May 2026
For many Black Americans, the decision was a death knell for a cherished pillar of the Civil Rights Movement.
—Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
For many Black Americans, the decision was a death knell for a cherished pillar of the Civil Rights Movement.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
Over the longer term, the curbs proved far from a death knell, with the country’s production rising in subsequent years.
—Anthony Di Paola, Fortune, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for knell
Noun
Their season was pretty much on the line here, as an 0-3 series deficit would have been a death knell.
—Joe Smith, New York Times, 10 May 2026
For many Black Americans, the decision was a death knell for a cherished pillar of the Civil Rights Movement.
—Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
For many Black Americans, the decision was a death knell for a cherished pillar of the Civil Rights Movement.
—ABC News, 2 May 2026
Over the longer term, the curbs proved far from a death knell, with the country’s production rising in subsequent years.
—Anthony Di Paola, Fortune, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for knell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knell
Verb
-
The only other artist who has seen double-digit compositions fail to lead the Billboard Hot 100 by a single rung is Taylor Swift, who has landed in the runner-up rung 10 times.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
However, his family had been worried that Omar, 17, would never get to ring the bell just a few months earlier.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
31 May 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
-
Due to the issue, the instrument panel cluster combination meter may fail to display certain warnings or indicators, meaning the cars do not comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
Morgan Stanley's Serena Tang noted that an indicator for market sentiment has turned negative.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Trump said Xi also told him that China intended to continue buying oil from Iran, even as Beijing opposed any effort by Iran to militarize or effectively toll the Strait of Hormuz.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
14 May 2026
-
Ouija boards were enshrined in glass cases throughout the room; periodically, a small silver bell tolled without warning, moving as though on its own.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Hopefully, now this kid can stop being a moody ass little ding-dong about it.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
8 May 2026
-
While moist’s related meanings certainly might drive our dislike, Max Müller’s ding-dong theory, known now as sound symbolism, provides an alternative, suggesting it instead (or also) might have something to do with the specific sounds that are in the word.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Coconut oil and warm banana leaves are placed on your body; strips that turn brown signal energy blocks or imbalances.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
That’s partly because excessive sleep may not be the problem itself, experts said, but rather a signal of underlying health issues that could contribute to accelerated aging.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
That also chimes with the schedule from last year.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The chiming from phones was music to everyone’s ears.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
28 May 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 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
