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 D'alessandro, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
Conversely, tax noncompliance could be the death knell undermining an otherwise strong application.
—Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Despite that, though, sources have said this isn’t exactly the death knell for the show.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 4 Sep. 2025
The United Kingdom, France and Germany took the first step on Thursday in snapping back severe sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, signaling the death knell for the Obama-era nuclear deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for knell
Noun
Instability doesn’t have to be a creative death knell, of course.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for knell
Verb
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Chants of peace rang out around the California Capitol Sunday as hundreds of people rallied in support of Cambodia amid tensions with neighboring country Thailand.—
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Elsewhere in the city, loud bangs rang out and agents fired pepper balls at a much smaller crowd of protesters outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, where demonstrators have been confronting ICE agents during daily protests.—
Noun
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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.—
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As two peals of thunder cracked overhead, all live television feeds from the site went dead.—
Noun
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This week, some of those indicators have fallen, but the CDC says that does not necessarily mean the season has reached its peak.—
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Hartnett pointed to a cluster of extreme positioning indicators in a note to clients Friday.—
Verb
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As the bell tolled, silver confetti burst over the bar, showering patrons in the festivities.—
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The bells in the church nearby are tolling.—
Noun
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Legal experts note people playing ding-dong ditch can also face charges, with offenses ranging from criminal trespass to disorderly conduct.—
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Earlier this year, an 11-year-old boy in Houston was shot and killed while playing the seemingly harmless prank of ding-dong-ditch.—
Noun
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The outer layer of the capsule is made from gelatin coated with a layer of cellulose and either molybdenum or tungsten, which blocks any RF signal from being emitted.—
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Advance Denim’s exclusive use of HV100 in key Asian markets is a clear signal that the future of denim doesn’t have to compromise between aesthetic authenticity, technical performance and planetary well-being.—
Verb
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The tradition involves eating a grape on every clock gong before midnight—so yes, that means eating one grape every second when the clock starts chiming.—
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London As Big Ben chimed midnight, London celebrated 2026 with fireworks over the River Thames.—
Noun
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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.—
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Shivaree, chthonian, erumpent, tintinnabulation, exonumia, requiescat, deipnosophist, omphaloskepsis, horripilation, deliquesce, apopemptic.—
Cite this Entry
“Knell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knell. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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