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Reference : Idioms : R : ring a bell

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ring a bell Informal

Meaning: If something rings a bell, it sounds familiar or you think you've heard it before.

For example:

  • The name rang a bell but I couldn't remember exactly where I'd heard it before.

  • Does the name "Hunter S. Thompson" ring a bell?

Quick Quiz:

When I heard the poem, some of the lines rang a bell and
  1. some of them beat a drum
  2. sounded very beautiful
  3. I thought I'd heard it somewhere before

Discuss: ring a bell

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