Sound effect in a slapstick routine

BONK

Think of the noise a cartoon character’s head might make when hit with a mallet or frying pan—it’s short, blunt, and often spelled just like it sounds.

"BONK" is the classic onomatopoeic sound you hear in slapstick comedy when someone gets hit on the head—think old cartoons or Three Stooges skits. The clue plays on the exaggerated, silly noise that signals a harmless but funny collision, often paired with a bump or a wobble for comedic effect. It’s a straightforward sound-effect answer, so no tricky wordplay, just pure cartoon physics.