tinkle 1 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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tinkle

2 of 2

verb

ˈtiŋ-kəl How to pronounce tinkle (audio)
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 The water fountains are trickling; wind chimes tinkle and shimmer in the breeze, and the store’s seemingly endless lines of indoor and outdoor décor are available to celebrate each season and occasion. — Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2025
Verb
Food and drink Fontana restaurant is the main attraction here, with an inviting courtyard and a tinkling fountain lending a European feel. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 June 2026 Furthermore, Sharpe spent six months learning how to tinkle the ivories, an impressive commitment which pays off during the pivotal piano battles and ensures a welcome absence of clumsy cutaways from fingers to face. — Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for tinkle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinkle
  1. rattle
  2. clink
  3. clatter
  4. jingle
  5. tintinnabulation
  6. ring
Noun
  • The slightest details, or the smallest bits of structure, are what stick out—what can feel like an amorphous ooze of nothingness suddenly snaps into place thanks to a rhythmic rattle or jagged vocal sample.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026
  • Jigs with rattles are most productive and a big, active trailer is the way to go in muddy water.
    — David A. Brown, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
Definition of rattle
Verb
  • The central lobby space is a social scene abuzz with people enjoying formal afternoon tea, clinking glasses at the Champagne bar (rotating themes and partnerships add variety for locals) or tucking into meals at the dining room.
    — Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Avtan often won’t tell Paz anything about the source or meaning of her many samples, which can take the form of fragmented dialogue and what sounds like clinking kitchenware.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026
Definition of clink
Noun
  • All night long there was the ringing clatter of picks and shovels; the Germans were digging trenches in the frozen ground.
    — Vasily Grossman, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • No clatter of boots and ankles.
    — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of clatter
Verb
  • On the walls, a few pots hang from a copper rod, a dinner bell waits to be jingled, and an ancient clock keeps time.
    — Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 2 July 2026
  • The Household Cavalry, on dark horses and with brightly shining breastplates, trotted past, jingling like a cutlery drawer.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Definition of jingle
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
Definition of tintinnabulation
Verb
  • When that happened, on July 4, 1778, locals rang the old bell, which had been delivered up the Mississippi from New Orleans, and for a long time locals stored the bell inside the church.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Gunshots were heard ringing out during a fireworks display near the boardwalk in Coney Island, according to the New York Post.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Definition of ring

Browse Nearby Words

tinker (with)
tinkle
tinkled
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Cite this Entry

“Tinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinkle. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of tinkle for Spanish Speakers

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