Definition of tintinnabulationnext
as in rattle
a series of short high ringing sounds the merry tintinnabulation of church bells

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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 tintinnabulation 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, 26 Oct. 2021 Two dozen billiard balls roll on tracks, striking a series of devices that set off a tintinnabulation of bells, chimes and metallic clinks. Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2021 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 The delicate tintinnabulation of Adasiewicz’s vibes dovetailed with Reed’s telegraphic drum work, Reid’s amber cellos lines, Johnson’s silvery trumpet phrases and Heinemann’s warmly resonant bass. Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 27 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tintinnabulation
Noun
  • This isn’t alt-country so much as death-rattle country, as though Grigoroff and Adducci took Hank Williams’ most wincingly lonesome numbers as a starting point but figured the tempos were a little too fast.
    Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
  • But stopping the clap of Thunder and rattle of Spurs calls for something special.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Experts refer that moment to conveying a picture, a moment often accentuated by the rhythmical clatter of two pieces of wood, which are like claves.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Just the check, the soft clatter of plates and that lingering smell of basil and coconut that follows you out the door.
    Timothy DePeugh, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Periodically a mandolin tinkles, or maybe a fiddle swoops in as if from a low-hanging cloud.
    Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Roberts doesn’t offer much empathy for the poor, diseased critter other than a pause when Ben momentarily ponders his reflection in a pool as Adrian Johnston’s eerie synth-piano score tinkles.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The most immediate disruption may appear in commercial niches such as advertising jingles or podcast themes.
    Steven Melendez, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The winning jingle will become the official 2-K theme for the city and be played on the radio.
    Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tintinnabulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tintinnabulation. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.

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