clank 1 of 2

noun

Definition of clanknext
as in rattle
the loud sound made when metal strikes metal the car is making a funny clank, and this can't be good

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

clank

2 of 2

verb

as in to clink

Related 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 clank
Noun
As the sun sank, neighbors began banging spoons on metal pots from inside their homes, the subtle but unmistakable clank of government protests. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026 Instead, Wembanyama delivered a clank. — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Verb
Eventually, others could be heard speaking loudly and dishes clanking. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026 The catcher also appeared to be looking for a breaking ball earlier in the second, allowing a fastball to clank off his glove and go to the backstop. — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for clank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clank
  1. rattle
  2. clink
  3. clang
  4. clack
  5. clash
  6. clatter
  7. ring
  8. chirp
Noun
  • Pygmy Rattlesnakes are small and colorful, around 15 to 20 inches in length, with a vertical pupil, thin tail, and tiny rattle.
    — Jack Armstrong, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 3 June 2026
  • Elsewhere in the snippet of the music video, Latto could be seen walking around a white crib and viewing a scrapbook featuring a page with a rattle and dummy and a positive ClearBlue pregnancy test placed on top.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Definition of rattle
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
Definition of clink
Noun
  • Brunson, who scored 36 and otherwise was the co-author of the comeback, had a 3-pointer clang off the front of the rim, but Anunoby soared over everyone to guide the miss and tip it in.
    — Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • The album’s official versions smooth out some of the buzzy sibilance of the bootlegs, but Hold Onto Me Infinity accommodates lots of tasteful clangs and wubs.
    — H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026
Definition of clang
Verb
  • Clicking and clacking, a tiny wooden marionette lifts an apple to his mouth ad infinitum.
    — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026
  • Babe, that clacking fan is long gone.
    — E.R. Pulgar, SPIN, 10 June 2026
Definition of clack
Noun
  • With Brazil’s upcoming clash with Norway providing another physical challenge in the blistering New Jersey heat, is Casemiro a help or hindrance to his team?
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026
  • Your 3rd House of Communication tightens as the vibrant Sun activates it and clashes with restrictive Saturn in your 12th House of Solitude.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2026
Definition of clash
Verb
  • Many people watching the game on TV were surprised, since replays seemed to suggest Freuler had been offside before being clattered by Abunada.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 13 June 2026
  • Below them, clattering on a dozen parallel tracks, the trains were coming and going, arriving and departing, thundering underground.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Definition of clatter
Noun
  • Included in the five photos was a close-up shot of the singer's engagement ring created by Kindred Lubeck with Artifex Fine Jewelry.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • The slideshow on social media showed Kelce’s backyard transformed into a lush, floral garden as the pair embraced and showed off Swift’s new ring — a large diamond set in yellow gold.
    — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 4 July 2026
Definition of ring
Verb
  • Sometimes crickets chirped in my head.
    — Will Mackin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026
  • As Photay, Shornstein—a master synthesist and producer—flits between atmospheric house, dubby breakbeat workouts, and chirping electro funk, building his songs’ arrangements into strange, angular shapes.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026
Definition of chirp

Browse Nearby Words

clangs
clank
clanked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clank. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on clank

Nglish: Translation of clank for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All