tocsin

noun

ˈtäk-sən How to pronounce tocsin (audio)
Definition of tocsinnext
1
as in signal
an object intended to give public notice or warning the tocsin rang out, warning us of the approaching tornado

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in warning
something that tells of approaching danger or risk noted that a sudden drop in a student's grades may be a tocsin of a serious personal problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 tocsin Singer Building housed a sewing-machine company, but its slender campanile might have served to ring tocsins or watch for approaching armies. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 3 Aug. 2023 The Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Hudson Institute, and AEI have all been sounding the tocsin about Iran for decades. — Jacob Heilbrunn, The New Republic, 23 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tocsin
  1. signal
  2. warning
Noun
  • This signal reached Earth as a continuous invitation to fellowship, and the record-breaking viewership of Artemis II built like a slow cooker feast, with global engagement increasing from launch to splashdown.
    — Aparna Venkatesan, Space.com, 20 July 2026
  • Very early in the morning, however, the moon will make a series of aspects — with Mars, Saturn and Mercury retrograde — that could potentially trigger everything from feelings of restlessness to emotional reactions due to mixed signals.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
Definition of signal
Noun
  • Like most expectant parents, Briana Faucette heard the typical warnings about sleepless nights.
    — Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
  • And now, those warnings have become reality, with the employees working to rein in a growing cyclospora outbreak in the Midwest, forced to do more with less.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of warning

Browse Nearby Words

to come
tocsin
tocsins
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Cite this Entry

“Tocsin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tocsin. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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