as in to ring
to make the clear sound heard when metal vibrates
the church bells knelled to mark the death of the nation's beloved leader
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
2
as in indicator
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 knell
Sebastian Elbaum, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2025
Inevitably, there was gallows humour about this being a death knell.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 3 July 2025
Day 18: Hard to focus with all the death knells tolling.
—Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for knell
Verb
Finishing second is not a death knell for American AI, but refusing to adapt to compete would be.
—Sebastian Elbaum, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2025
Inevitably, there was gallows humour about this being a death knell.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Noun
An enthralling photo of Shelton knelling on one knee holding out a ring toward a flabbergasted Berdomas has over 15 million views on X largely due to the massive twister behind them.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 3 July 2025
Day 18: Hard to focus with all the death knells tolling.
—Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for knell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knell
Verb
-
Core One Pro offers four hearing modes: Normal for everyday conversations, Outdoor for wind noise reduction, Restaurant for filtering background chatter, and a specialized Tinnitus mode that provides masking sounds for those suffering from ear ringing.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 July 2025
-
Raj Subramaniam, center, rings the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on April 17, 2023, in New York.—
Gabriel Snyder,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
Amid grills cooking savory barbecue, bubbles blowing from an ice cream truck, face painting and peals of laughter from kids in a nearby bouncy house, Justine Mosely Stephens was struggling not to tear up.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
6 July 2025
-
Amal wore a strapless white Tamara Ralph Haute Couture gown which was draped in peals from top to bottom, with some wrapped around her arms below the shoulder.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2025
Noun
-
Experts have said Tren de Aragua doesn’t typically use tattoos as gang markers, and relying on them as indicators of gang ties risks serious miscarriages of justice.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
1 Aug. 2025
-
While trade payment data may play a minor role in a broader risk management approach, it cannot be treated as a primary indicator of counterparty strength.—
Charlie Minutella,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The crowd, filled with marching bands in town for a special Jubilee weekend, erupted in cheers and music as the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica tolled.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2025
-
Watching him, one thought tolled over and over in my head: Take your time, but don’t go slow.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Bomer is good when Jerry the ding-dong must navigate a moment of real sentiment or complication; the juxtaposition is effective.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
-
That was a fantastically exciting ding-dong 2-2 — with Atletico missing a 99th penalty and eventually being eliminated from the Champions League after the group stage.—
Dermot Corrigan,
The Athletic,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Matches and a lighter can help start fire to act as an emergency signal in times of need.—
Helena Wegner
July 14,
Sacbee.com,
14 July 2025
-
Corporate adoption: Companies allocating funds to Bitcoin signal mainstream acceptance.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
The family at the heart of the story run a tourism business allowing Cappadocia to feature in a way that naturally chimes with the narrative, but the connection between landscape and plot runs far deeper, series director Murat Saraçoğlu says.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
1 July 2025
-
The cellphone chimed, a surprise on a hot, lazy Sunday evening when few emails announce themselves.—
Scott Craven,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Shivaree, chthonian, erumpent, tintinnabulation, exonumia, requiescat, deipnosophist, omphaloskepsis, horripilation, deliquesce, apopemptic.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Knell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knell. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share