death knell

death knell

A signal of the impending end or ruin of something, especially a business, organization, or activity. Refers to the sound of a bell ringing (the knell) from a church to indicate that someone has died. The geometric expansion of the Internet and digital media has tolled the death knell for countless print-based businesses around the world.
See also: death, knell
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

death knell

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.
See also: death, knell
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • knell
  • toll the death knell
  • sound the death knell
  • sound the death knell of something
  • ring the knell of
  • ring the knell of (something)
  • ring down the curtain (on something)
  • ring down the curtain on
  • ring the curtain down
  • ring the curtain down (on something)
References in periodicals archive
THE Irish tradition of the open casket at funerals has escaped the death knell.
Funeral tradition to live on
The death knell sounded for Tiggy the day she kissed and hugged Prince Harry as the two were leaving church at Sandringham.
Tiggy legs it to the dole queue
Our poultry industry is already struggling to survive so any outbreak here would almost certainly sound the death knell for producers.
IRISH DAILY Mirror COMMENT: Bird flu jitters over Europe
AS an ex-smoker from a mining village I can see this drac-onian ban will be the death knell for many working men's clubs.
Letters: Fag-end of an era - The BIG issue
Ministers have moved to scrap the exam but opponents said the plan will sound the death knell for grammar schools.
EU court ruling bid on 11 -plus
A BOOM in the number of people booking holidays online could be the death knell for travel agents.
Online hols hit agents
SONY sounded the death knell for the conventional TV yesterday as it axed 650 jobs in South Wales.
650 axed by Sony
Last night's vote could be the death knell for the Constitution, which needed the ratification of all 25 EU members.
French no to Constitution
THE death knell was sounded when Daniella Westbrook turned up dressed top to toe in Burberry.
Maggie Barry: Bargain nedgear
Failure to back LDV now could be the death knell to Labour support in the Midlands and, subsequently, the country.
Time to support LDV; YourSay
"I wish people would realise that restaurant critics simply diagnose the illness but they never sound the death knell. We're only the pall bearers, not the killers" - Restaurant critic Jay Rayner.
They say
We've been trying to sort out funding, but if the youth services move there will be less revenue, and it would be the final death knell for the community centre."
Protest over threat to youth club
A VICAR has said the closure of a west Wirral post office would be the "death knell of independent living" for many elderly members of his parish.
Vicar warns over village post office; 'Closure would hit elderly residents'
But global warming could sound the death knell for old favourites, which may no longer thrive.
SUMMER DROUGHT IS SENDING US BANANAS; HEAT IS ON
In the late 1950s, architects decided to ring the death knell on established material and tradesmen employed to erect buildings of character.
Letter: Short points - Church Street