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
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as in indicator
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of knell
Anthony Di Paola, Fortune, 2 May 2026
While the Journal characterizes the loss of funding as a death knell for the organization, LIV officials have been quick to point out that the league has been increasing its revenue this year.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
But even if Ohtani falters against the Giants, who rank near the bottom of the league in runs scored per game, that will not be a death knell to his candidacy.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
This, the Taiwanese believed, was the death knell for Taiwan’s place in the world.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knell
Noun
Over the longer term, the curbs proved far from a death knell, with the country’s production rising in subsequent years.
—Anthony Di Paola, Fortune, 2 May 2026
While the Journal characterizes the loss of funding as a death knell for the organization, LIV officials have been quick to point out that the league has been increasing its revenue this year.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
But even if Ohtani falters against the Giants, who rank near the bottom of the league in runs scored per game, that will not be a death knell to his candidacy.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
This, the Taiwanese believed, was the death knell for Taiwan’s place in the world.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for knell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knell
Verb
-
This didn’t ring a bell—but then, Murray loved baseball.—
Ben McGrath,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
And then, on a cold April morning the phone rang.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Magaletti ventures a tentative introduction of brushes on snares; following the muted peal of distant thunder, upsammy chimes in with a plangent synthesizer sequence reminiscent of Arovane and other IDM producers from around the turn of the millennium.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
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The silence of the lake—save for the gentle peal of church bells on Sunday mornings and the plop of ducks plunging beneath the water surface—is a rare and unforgettable pleasure.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This indicator fired off a clear bullish crossover on May 15th, adding another critical layer of confirmation to this setup.—
Nishant Pant,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
One of the key indicators of El Niño strength lies beneath the ocean surface, where warm water builds in the western Pacific near Australia.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Ouija boards were enshrined in glass cases throughout the room; periodically, a small silver bell tolled without warning, moving as though on its own.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Indonesia’s neighbors have responded differently to the idea of tolling the Strait of Malacca.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hopefully, now this kid can stop being a moody ass little ding-dong about it.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
8 May 2026
-
While moist’s related meanings certainly might drive our dislike, Max Müller’s ding-dong theory, known now as sound symbolism, provides an alternative, suggesting it instead (or also) might have something to do with the specific sounds that are in the word.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, hormone signals and the glands that produce them are part of a communication system that organises every cell, turning collections of independently functioning cells, tissues and organs into an interconnected human body.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
The technique, which works by bouncing signals onto qubits and effectively listening for their echoes, runs 13,000 times faster on Willow than an equivalent algorithm would on the best classical supercomputer.—
Zeeya Merali,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The bittersweet tale infused with humor and sadness chimed with the Cannes audience.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
In my experience, the interrupter will pause and look toward you, which is your opportunity to chime back in.—
Jessica Chen,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
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
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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 20 May. 2026.
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