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bells and whistles
plural noun
: items or features that are useful or decorative but not essential : frills
Examples of bells and whistles in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When fully spec'd out with all the bells and whistles, the Launch Edition tops out at $51,500.
—New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2024
Since its introduction all the way back in 1968, the Carrera T has been the 911 to turn to for performance without all the unnecessary bells and whistles.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2024
The bright space is without bells and whistles, but filled with small traditional touches.
—Rhonda Richford, WWD, 21 Oct. 2024
But this isn’t a film in thrall to star power, or indeed any cinematic bells and whistles: A late-summer thunderstorm, briefly menacing but causing no ultimate harm, represents the closest thing to a dramatic peak in screenwriter Robert Jones’s faithfully low-key adaptation.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1968, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of bells and whistles was
in 1968
Dictionary Entries Near bells and whistles
Cite this Entry
“Bells and whistles.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bells%20and%20whistles. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
bells and whistles
plural noun
: items or features that are useful or decorative but not necessary
a new car with lots of bells and whistles
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