clout 1 of 2

noun

ˈklau̇t How to pronounce clout (audio)
Definition of cloutnext
1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the stubborn handle a solid clout to make it turn

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly has a great deal of clout in the film industry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clout

2 of 2

verb

as in to punch
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner clouted the nail with the hammer and drove it all the way into the wood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clout
Noun
But as the AfD gains clout through regional elections, the debate within the CDU over exactly how impermeable that firewall should be is also intensifying. — Anna Noryskiewicz, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 Underlying the discussions were concerns by some local leaders about the suburbs losing clout to Chicago and Cook County with the new NITA structure. — Marni Pyke, Chicago Tribune, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
Pellegrino, a 6-foot-3 forward who’s nearly devoid of body fat and brims with energy, clouted the ball out the air for the third goal and ran toward the supporters section, raising the crowd’s volume. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025 The recall was widely seen as a litmus test for how much clout the national conservative group can wield in non-partisan local politics. — Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clout
  1. blow
  2. influence
  3. punch
  4. slap
  5. leverage
  6. smack
  7. thump
  8. sway
Noun
  • Ditka and Ryan had an often adversarial relationship, with the two nearly coming to blows during halftime of the team's only 1985 season loss, to the Miami Dolphins.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • For many, that would have been a career-ending blow, but not for him.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • The traditional Pueblo architecture has touches of Native American and Western influences, along with European and Mexican motifs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Scotlandville will no longer be represented by a native son, someone who people believed instinctively understood their challenges and offered a direct line to power and influence in the nation’s capital.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of influence
Verb
  • During the scuffle, a loud smack is heard as the officer who shoved her appears to punch her in the face.
    — Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026
  • His pass set and movements looked more like an art than someone who punched people for a living.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of punch
Noun
  • The baby Fins were back to Earth, sweet mirage yielding to the slap of reality.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Hundreds of those grants were later reinstated when a federal judge ruled that the slap-dash nature of the terminations violated the Administrative Procedures Act, which regulates how agencies are supposed to change policies.
    — Anil Oza, STAT, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of slap
Noun
  • Instead, the authors argue public money could have more leverage by underwriting risks that commercial markets currently will not.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Analysts see improving execution and believe P & G is on track to exit this fiscal year at a healthy enough top-line growth rate to deliver operating leverage and help profits.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of leverage
Verb
  • The Eagles also have been smacked with injuries and played without several key starters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And there’s rarely time to digest one controversy before the next one comes barreling down the road and smacks us in the mouth.
    — Bernard Goldberg, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of smack
Noun
  • The brutalist thump of drummer Moe Tucker renders the showmen in Led Zeppelin and the Who irrelevant.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The Giants lineup even lacked Rafael Devers’ considerable thump for the first time since the Giants traded for him last summer.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of thump
Noun
  • The story plays out in New York’s cutthroat acting scene, where a talented Indian actor chasing his craft falls under the sway of Keitel’s teacher.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • As Béatrice’s amateur detective work pulls her in deeper, the strands begin to suggest a conspiracy, one marked by mysterious disappearances and the clandestine sway of the Vatican.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of sway

Browse Nearby Words

cloudy
clout
clouted
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Cite this Entry

“Clout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clout. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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