View synonyms for

death knell

noun

a harbinger of the end, death, or destruction of something.
passing bell.

death knell

noun

something that heralds death or destruction
a bell rung to announce a death

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Idioms and Phrases

Something that indicates impending failure, as in His low scores sounded the death knell for his ambitions. The noun knell, used for the ringing of a bell since at least a.d. 1000, is rarely heard today except in this figurative phrase.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

However, the big stores slowly suffered from falling profits and rising debt as more shoppers moved online - before the coronavirus lockdowns signalled the death knell to Debenhams and many other businesses.

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This is not a "winner takes all market", says Mr Bisen, giving the example of e-commerce which came into India in 2010 and was meant to sound the death knell of local retailers.

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In fact, the regular watering that most vegetables need to thrive can be a death knell to native perennials, especially in late summer, when many go dormant.

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But for Le Pen, this could be the death knell of her long-cherished ambition to become French president.

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The death knell was the wretched failure of Christian nationalism as a governing style.

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Death in Venice deathless

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