clink 1 of 2

noun

Definition of clinknext
slang
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody I once spent a night in the clink, and it's an experience I don't want to repeat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clink

2 of 2

verb

ˈkliŋk How to pronounce clink (audio)
as in to jingle
to make a repeated sharp light ringing sound coins clinking in his pocket as he traipsed down the street

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 clink
Noun
The beer brand encourages users to exchange details or connect on social media with each clink. — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026 As the bullet weight clinks and clacks along the bottom, bass will key in on your rig and follow it. — Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
The central lobby space is a social scene abuzz with people enjoying formal afternoon tea, clinking glasses at the Champagne bar (rotating themes and partnerships add variety for locals) or tucking into meals at the dining room. — Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Avtan often won’t tell Paz anything about the source or meaning of her many samples, which can take the form of fragmented dialogue and what sounds like clinking kitchenware. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for clink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clink
  1. jail
  2. jingle
  3. prison
  4. tinkle
  5. penitentiary
  6. ring
  7. chink
  8. rattle
Noun
  • He was given an option to bypass jail by paying a $250 fine and providing the filings within a week.
    — Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Castro was released from a Texas jail last week after a judge declined to order his return to Minnesota.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of jail
Verb
  • Just when things seemed too contentious and/or boring to a late-night viewer, Stewart knew when to jingle the keys in our face.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 July 2026
  • On the walls, a few pots hang from a copper rod, a dinner bell waits to be jingled, and an ancient clock keeps time.
    — Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 2 July 2026
Definition of jingle
Noun
  • The jury did convict Rosado of driving under the influence and he was sentenced to five years in prison, but Rosado has been behind bars on a $2 million bail since 2021 so won't have to serve any additional time.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Over the course of Exile, one of Loktev’s subjects is poisoned; another receives a five-year prison sentence in absentia.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of prison
Verb
  • The small fragments of colorful glass, strung along together, produce soothing sounds, their tinkling notes wafting through the air alongside a chorus of windchimes and the sweet scent of plumeria blooming in the garden.
    — Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026
  • Food and drink Fontana restaurant is the main attraction here, with an inviting courtyard and a tinkling fountain lending a European feel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 June 2026
Definition of tinkle
Noun
  • Beginning in 1908, after federal prisons opened in Atlanta, Georgia, and Leavenworth, Kansas, most federal prisoners were sent to these new federal prisons, and cells began to empty at the West Virginia state penitentiary.
    — Ella Siegrist, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Recent spike in inmate deaths at the penitentiary In fiscal year 2025 – July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025 – the DOC reported 19 deaths within its annual report, the most in a decade.
    — TJ Rhodes, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of penitentiary
Verb
  • Officers were already at the park attempting to break up the crowd when shots rang out and struck multiple people.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • There was a little confusion as to whether or not the match was really over, but when the bell rang, fans booed loudly.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of ring
Verb
  • The great room’s pale logs with visible chinking contrast with ultra white floors and drywall.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 25 May 2026
  • The halcyon days of chinking champagne flutes, spacious seating, and sense of adventure has long been replaced by the budget sardine-can approach to air travel.
    — Chris Haslam, Wired News, 1 May 2026
Definition of chink
Verb
  • Investors have been rattled by the resurgence of inflationary pressures, particularly as a fresh wave of conflict in the Middle East drives oil prices higher.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • And the president's new plan to import ground beef has rattled many ranchers.
    — Gaby Vinick, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of rattle

Browse Nearby Words

clinics
clink
clinked
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Cite this Entry

“Clink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clink. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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