tinkle 1 of 2

as in rattle
a series of short high ringing sounds the soothing tinkle of the wind chime on the back porch

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tinkle

2 of 2

verb

as in to clink
to make a repeated sharp light ringing sound the bell around the cat's neck tinkled as he ran across the yard

Synonyms & Similar 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 tinkle
Noun
On our first evening the piano bar—resplendent in gold Thai silks, with tiger orchids blooming across the green carpet—was filled with laughter, the glug-glug-glug of Champagne pouring, and the tinkle of keys. Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 May 2024 With a swish of metal that was something akin to the tinkle of windchimes, the British Vogue contributor, modeling a dress covered entirely in metal discs, arrived in style: with London designer of the moment Marco Capaldo acting as her knight in shining 16Arlington. Alice Newbold, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2023
Verb
Jeff Goldblum tinkled the ivories during a moving In Memoriam section at the BAFTA Film Awards. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025 Guests in silk blouses and slacks sipped scotch while the piano man tinkled the keys. Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for tinkle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinkle
Noun
  • Alternative investments are gaining traction among financial advisors who are seeking diversification just as rising geopolitical tensions and shaky tariff policy rattle stocks.
    Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 18 June 2025
  • Stocks around the world have declined as Trump’s tariffs rattle markets.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • There are pics of the pair kissing, clinking Champagne glasses, and taking a selfie with a digital camera.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 June 2025
  • As unveiled on the band’s Instagram Thursday (May 29), the LP’s front features a cozy photo of Kevin, Nick and Joe clinking wine glasses while dining at a restaurant.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • Bowling balls rumbled down lanes, followed by the clatter of pins.
    Dateline NBC, NBC news, 18 June 2025
  • The chants outside the Islamic Republic embassy, the clatter of Persian tea glasses at gatherings of dissidents in our cramped government housing, the news of bombings and assassinations that stole friends and fellow dreamers.
    Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • They’re woven into the tapestry of our front-yard memories—sticky fingers, crooked signs, and mason jars jingling with coins and all, but somewhere along the way, the simple tradition has faded.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
  • And that repeating first couplet — which comprises six of the poem’s 18 lines and occupied the first day of this challenge — will surely jingle in your pocket for a long time to come.
    A.O. Scott, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • Though this installation of tintinnabulation has been a feature of the garden for more than a decade, some frequent visitors only noticed the chimes this summer, when a small crew recently installed them in a large linden tree adjacent to Parade Stadium.
    Kim Hyatt, Star Tribune, 23 July 2021
  • Shivaree, chthonian, erumpent, tintinnabulation, exonumia, requiescat, deipnosophist, omphaloskepsis, horripilation, deliquesce, apopemptic.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2021
Verb
  • In footage provided to PEOPLE by Ring, Kota walks towards the front door and starts jumping up and ringing the doorbell a number of times with what appears to be his nose.
    Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 24 June 2025
  • Yet Ben Stokes, the one-time gifted problem child of the English game, faces India this week in the first of two defining series in his Test captaincy with the ringing endorsement of some of the most successful and high-profile figures to have held the post.
    Paul Newman, New York Times, 19 June 2025

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“Tinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinkle. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

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