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Synonyms

ticktock

American  
[tik-tok] / ˈtɪkˌtɒk /
Sometimes tictoc

noun

  1. an alternating ticking sound, as that made by a clock.


verb (used without object)

  1. to emit or produce a ticking sound, like that of a clock.

ticktock British  
/ ˈtɪkˌtɒk /

noun

  1. a ticking sound as made by a clock

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (intr) to make a ticking sound

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ticktock

First recorded in 1840–50; imitative

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It has adopted a ticktock release schedule, with major architecture advances coming every two years and upgrades in the intervening years.

From Barron's ● May 29, 2026

Healthy pastures of eelgrass offer a mesmerizing beauty, swishing gently in the ticktock of the tide.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 21, 2022

Some of these problems relate to his ticktock of events during the confusing early months of the pandemic and his effort to accentuate the visionary qualities of main characters like Mecher and Dean.

From Washington Post ● May 5, 2021

“The ticktock of the raid’s secret planning and execution is exhilarating, but Obama reflects on the cathartic euphoria of the aftermath,” Stokols says in his review.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2021

There’s no ticktock of the blinker, no voice of the customer, and no sizzle of the traffic.

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak

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