sound/ring/toll the death knell

idiom

literary
: to cause the end of
Many people thought that the Internet would sound/ring/toll the death knell for newspapers.

Examples of sound/ring/toll the death knell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Along with the anger, there is resignation — a grim acceptance that this news may sound the death knell for their already slim hopes of wresting the Premier League title away from Liverpool. James McNicholas, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025 The current protests in Iran sound the death knell of the Islamic Republic. Masih Alinejad, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2022

Browse Nearby Entries

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sound/ring/toll the death knell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sound%2Fring%2Ftoll%20the%20death%20knell. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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!