as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
there's always one ding-dong in the tour group who wanders off and gets lost
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 ding-dong
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
In North Carolina, a juvenile was shot in the leg after a homeowner fired at a vehicle during a late-night ding-dong ditch-style prank, according to police.
—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Legal experts note people playing ding-dong ditch can also face charges, with offenses ranging from criminal trespass to disorderly conduct.
—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, an 11-year-old boy in Houston was shot and killed while playing the seemingly harmless prank of ding-dong-ditch.
—
Stephanie Murray,
USA Today,
12 Dec. 2025
In their search for a late-night ding-dong ditcher, a California homeowner discovered a bear pulling a prank.
—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
4 Dec. 2025
In 2020, three 16-year-olds were killed when a man rammed his car into their vehicle in retaliation for pulling a ding-dong-ditch prank on him.
—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
If, however, Madrid find themselves in end-to-end ding-dongs next season — the kind that Guardiola spent his career, and particularly his final season at City, trying to avoid — then Bernardo may not be the man for the occasion.
—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
In North Carolina, a juvenile was shot in the leg after a homeowner fired at a vehicle during a late-night ding-dong ditch-style prank, according to police.
—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Legal experts note people playing ding-dong ditch can also face charges, with offenses ranging from criminal trespass to disorderly conduct.
—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, an 11-year-old boy in Houston was shot and killed while playing the seemingly harmless prank of ding-dong-ditch.
—
Stephanie Murray,
USA Today,
12 Dec. 2025
In their search for a late-night ding-dong ditcher, a California homeowner discovered a bear pulling a prank.
—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
4 Dec. 2025
In 2020, three 16-year-olds were killed when a man rammed his car into their vehicle in retaliation for pulling a ding-dong-ditch prank on him.
—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ding-dong
Noun
-
As a Spurs fan, I was particularly invested in Campbell in an England shirt and recall charging around the living room like a lunatic before the reality that it had been chalked off hit home.
-
The lunatics are running the asylum.
Verb
-
Prices at the auction were gong up and up.
Noun
-
Being a gent or a supplicant wasn’t the same as being a fool, though.
-
Don’t let the simple style fool you, though, because the ultra-soft foam insoles provide solid arch support.
Verb
-
Don’t attempt to achieve the impossible as the sun and Saturn clash.
-
Both are familiar foes, clashing on several occasions when playing for their club teams in the Premier League.
Noun
-
The list goes on, though; roast goose and crispy fried pigeon star on the menu at The Legacy House, and stylish couples swish into DarkSide for live jazz even on most evenings.
-
Organic cotton and goose down in three firm varieties mean there’s a suitable fill for stomach, back, and side sleepers alike.
Verb
-
The Household Cavalry, on dark horses and with brightly shining breastplates, trotted past, jingling like a cutlery drawer.
-
The hiker then begins jingling bells in the bear's face in an attempt to scare it off, but the bear charges forward.
Noun
-
Foods with natural oils or fats, like olive oil, whole grains, and nut butters, are especially vulnerable to heat damage.
-
But are there any downsides to consuming this nut spread regularly?
Verb
-
The report also dings the Harris campaign for failing to distance the candidate from Biden, in light of his unpopularity at the time.
-
Future transshipment rules, for instance, could ding individual components that are made in one country—China, again, is a good bet—and then integrated into a product without enough of a transformation in another before winding up in the United States.
Cite this Entry
“Ding-dong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ding-dong. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
