as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
I once spent a night in the clink, and it's an experience I don't want to repeat
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clink
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2025
Particles and blur and the muffled clink and thump of the paddleboard.
—Leanne Shapton, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Picture a bunch of people descending in private jets to eat steak and appear on panels about alleviating poverty and fighting climate change (among other noble goals), while clinking cocktail glasses with other fellow rich people in an effort to make one another even richer.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clink
Noun
There’s no rush here, just salty air, slow weekends, and the soft clink of champagne glasses at sunset.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2025
Particles and blur and the muffled clink and thump of the paddleboard.
—Leanne Shapton, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Verb
The clip showed the pair clinking spoons and laughing together, turning what began as a brief welfare check into a relaxed exchange between neighbors passing time during the outage.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Picture a bunch of people descending in private jets to eat steak and appear on panels about alleviating poverty and fighting climate change (among other noble goals), while clinking cocktail glasses with other fellow rich people in an effort to make one another even richer.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clink
Noun
-
This center could break that cycle by getting them the specialized treatment that the jail cannot and does not provide.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Ramsey, 53, has been held in a Dallas County, Iowa, jail since March 17, with bail set at $2 million.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The bells that dangled off her red tunic jingled.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Unpredictable and complex, this film has quite a few tricks stuffed in its stockings that will leave you shocked and your bells fully jingled.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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He was beaten by security forces, arrested and sentenced to 14 years in prison.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
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During his 12-year pontificate, Francis famously celebrated the Holy Thursday ritual by traveling to Rome-area prisons and refugee centers to wash the feet of people most on society’s margins.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some admired her journalistic mettle; others, including Martha at first, could not take her seriously (those tinkling bracelets).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
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Accordingly, recognisable Western archetypes abound, from the saloon bar serving pungent shots of whiskey to the tinkling accompaniment of Scott Joplin, to the majority of the characters themselves.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The government opened the federal penitentiary on Alcatraz in 1934, hoping to use the remote island to house particularly difficult prisoners, according to the National Park Service.—
Justine McDaniel,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2026
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But Wood’s penitentiary is considerably sturdier.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
More were soon visible all around us, ringing the horizon.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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The sky cleared just as Nasdaq's opening anthem rolled across the yard, and Cook stepped forward to ring the bell.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One of our challenges was thinking up a good chinking method that wouldn’t take an entire month.—
Tasha Zemke,
Outside Online,
24 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
The second time around, the glass rattled as Ovechkin made contact with York, and the crowd at Capital One Arena noticed.—
Bailey Johnson,
Washington Post,
1 Apr. 2026
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Since strikes began in February, Iran has blocked tanker traffic through the strait, sending global energy prices surging and rattling financial markets.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clink. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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