tinkle 1 of 2

as in rattle
a series of short high ringing sounds the soothing tinkle of the wind chime on the back porch

Synonyms & Similar Words

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tinkle

2 of 2

verb

as in to clink
to make a repeated sharp light ringing sound the bell around the cat's neck tinkled as he ran across the yard

Synonyms & Similar 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 tinkle
Noun
On our first evening the piano bar—resplendent in gold Thai silks, with tiger orchids blooming across the green carpet—was filled with laughter, the glug-glug-glug of Champagne pouring, and the tinkle of keys. Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 May 2024 With a swish of metal that was something akin to the tinkle of windchimes, the British Vogue contributor, modeling a dress covered entirely in metal discs, arrived in style: with London designer of the moment Marco Capaldo acting as her knight in shining 16Arlington. Alice Newbold, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2023
Verb
Shaking the capsules produces audio signals that range from rattling stones, over tinkling coins to swooshing sand. Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Oct. 2018 Jeff Goldblum tinkled the ivories during a moving In Memoriam section at the BAFTA Film Awards. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tinkle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinkle
Noun
  • Baby rattlesnakes don’t have rattles, and adult snakes’ rattles occasionally break off, according to the National Park Service.
    Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2025
  • Trains going into and out of the city’s main station rattle past its rooftop playground and restaurant.
    Lily Radziemski, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • In the final moments of the broadcast, she was shown clinking glasses with Jay-Z as his wife, Beyoncé, accepted the night's top honor, album of the year, for the first time.
    Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
  • In the crowd, her husband, Jay-Z, clinked glasses with fellow nominee Taylor Swift. Ye, Bianca Censori turn heads on Grammys red carpet Ye and his wife made an unforgettable appearance at Sunday's 2025 Grammy Awards.
    Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Noun
  • Bowling balls rumbled down lanes, followed by the clatter of pins.
    Dateline NBC, NBC news, 18 June 2025
  • The chants outside the Islamic Republic embassy, the clatter of Persian tea glasses at gatherings of dissidents in our cramped government housing, the news of bombings and assassinations that stole friends and fellow dreamers.
    Nazanin Boniadi, Time, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • They’re woven into the tapestry of our front-yard memories—sticky fingers, crooked signs, and mason jars jingling with coins and all, but somewhere along the way, the simple tradition has faded.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
  • And that repeating first couplet — which comprises six of the poem’s 18 lines and occupied the first day of this challenge — will surely jingle in your pocket for a long time to come.
    A.O. Scott, New York Times, 2 May 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
Verb
  • 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
  • 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

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“Tinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinkle. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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