variants
also nicknack
as in ornamental
a small object displayed for its attractiveness or interest
a variety of pretty porcelain knickknacks adorned the mantel
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knickknack
Portland artist Maggie Rudy has a knack for knickknacks.
—
Air Mail, 6 Dec. 2025
Among the totems, knickknacks, and ephemera in Will Shortz’s home-cum-museum, and one of his favorite items, is a copy of the 1924 book inscribed by Dick Simon and Max Schuster, sent to its source of inspiration.
—Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025
Plant, half a century removed from Golden God status, even found some space to bustle the hedgerows of NPR’s knickknacks and shelves during the instrumental breaks.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
Out with trendy gadgets, fast fashion and clutter-creating décor or knickknacks – things that feel exciting in the moment but are quickly forgotten.
—Michael Luchs, The Conversation, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knickknack
Air Mail, 6 Dec. 2025
Among the totems, knickknacks, and ephemera in Will Shortz’s home-cum-museum, and one of his favorite items, is a copy of the 1924 book inscribed by Dick Simon and Max Schuster, sent to its source of inspiration.
—Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025
Plant, half a century removed from Golden God status, even found some space to bustle the hedgerows of NPR’s knickknacks and shelves during the instrumental breaks.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2025
Out with trendy gadgets, fast fashion and clutter-creating décor or knickknacks – things that feel exciting in the moment but are quickly forgotten.
—Michael Luchs, The Conversation, 12 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knickknack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knickknack
Noun
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This substance, aptly named powdery mildew, is a common fungus that affects an array of ornamentals, vegetables, and herbs.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
31 May 2026
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Garlic, onions, chives, and other plants in the allium family, including ornamentals, have a strong and pungent odor that repels an assortment of garden pests.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 May 2026
Noun
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Since anybody recalled, the gate had been topped with decorative ornaments.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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At the end of the eighteenth century, the West’s power brokers, eager to exude stolid republican virtue, abjured decoration and ornament, sparking what the British psychologist John Flügel called the Great Masculine Renunciation.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Noun
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As more travelers ditch tourist traps in favor of authentic experiences, craft markets have become one of the most rewarding ways to see the real side of a destination — and bring home a souvenir that actually means something.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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GetYourGuide’s data showing a 66% jump in workshop bookings between summer 2024 and summer 2025 is the clearest sign yet that the souvenir economy is being reshaped from the demand side.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knickknack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knickknack. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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