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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 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
  • The noise and defense rattle Boley into four sacks and his first interception as a Sun Devil.
    — Manny Navarro, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Servants called flappers are required to shake rattles in their ears to keep them from falling or bumping into things.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • That’s a much sweeter sound to All than the clatter of a vehicle knocking him to the ground on the streets of Greece this summer.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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 study does not mean every company should start adding retro images to its ads or reviving those old singsong radio jingles.
    — Bernard May, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Initially, the group aired jingles on the radio and distributed flyers around Ife, stressing the importance of early detection.
    — Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Tintinnabulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tintinnabulation. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster