1
dialectal, chiefly British
: a piece of cloth or leather : rag
2
: a blow especially with the hand
When she was naughty, she would get a clout from her mother.
also
: a hard hit in baseball
3
: a white cloth on a stake or frame used as a target in archery
clouted; clouting; clouts
1
: to cover or patch with a clout
clouted his worn-out shoe with a piece of leather
2
: to hit forcefully
He clouted 19 home runs last year.
He clouted him on the back of the head.
Synonyms
Noun
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Verb
Examples of clout in a Sentence
Noun
She used her political clout to have another school built.
gave the stubborn handle a solid clout to make it turn
Verb
He clouted 19 home runs last year.
He'll clout me around the head if he finds out what I've done.
Recent Examples on the Web
Courtney Subramanian, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2024
But the views on Trump’s posture on the international stage varied widely, with two praising the clout of his tough guy persona while one of the pair slammed his tepid support for Ukraine, and another CEO predicting that Trump redux would threaten to trigger cataclysmic conflicts.
—Beth Greenfield, Fortune, 1 July 2024
Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 22 June 2024
While Ruth was clouting home runs, and Ty Cobb was collecting hits, and Dizzy Dean was blazing fastballs, many of baseball’s best players were languishing in a league where only the ball was white.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for clout 
Noun
But she’s also positioned to serve as an advocate for California at a time when the state’s political clout in Washington is waning.
—Courtney Subramanian, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2024
But the views on Trump’s posture on the international stage varied widely, with two praising the clout of his tough guy persona while one of the pair slammed his tepid support for Ukraine, and another CEO predicting that Trump redux would threaten to trigger cataclysmic conflicts.
—Beth Greenfield, Fortune, 1 July 2024
Verb
Not since the former Yankee slugger clouted three home runs in a World Series game against the Dodgers in 1977 has Jackson done more with a pitch in the strike zone.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 22 June 2024
While Ruth was clouting home runs, and Ty Cobb was collecting hits, and Dizzy Dean was blazing fastballs, many of baseball’s best players were languishing in a league where only the ball was white.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for clout
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near clout
Cite this Entry
“Clout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clout. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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