clout

1 of 2

noun

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
4
: pull, influence
political clout
She parlayed her box-office clout to wealth and independenceB. S. Pierre

clout

2 of 2

verb

clouted; clouting; clouts

transitive verb

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.

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
Noun
Netflix has the clout and the cash to do this kind of thing more often. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2024 The legislation is one of the world’s toughest pieces of legislation targeting the market clout of tech firms and could mark a sea change in how Europe does regulation. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Now the Republican donor class is confronting a reality its wealthy members had hoped to avoid: being limited to exerting their clout in the 2024 election cycle only through state-level races, lest they be forced to bankroll Donald Trump’s White House comeback bid. Amanda Gordon, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 Rob Reiner was well aware that the Christian nationalist movement had achieved considerable political clout. Kathryn Shattuck, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Walmart has used its clout to work with suppliers to manage inflation. Anne D'innocenzio, Quartz, 20 Feb. 2024 Some of the videos appear to have been made to gain clout — Neistat pointed out that the users in the videos don’t appear to actually be interacting with the Vision Pro’s interface. Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2024 Schwarzman and Gray’s windfall underscores the clout of the private equity industry. Dawn Lim, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024 No one should claim that Kelce is dating Swift for the clout, as that doesn’t appear to be the case in any way. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
Verb
But possible changes in whose voice matters might give the state superintendent more clout ahead. Alan J. Borsuk, Journal Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2024 Rapinoe, her replacement, clouted her kick well above the bar. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2023 The home run derby title went to St. Augustine senior first baseman M.J. Sweeney, who clouted six home runs in the first round and seven more in the final round to out-slug Madison senior outfielder Jake Jackson, who had six home runs in the first round but only three in the final. Rick Hoff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2023 Professional sports leagues and clubs are asked to use their platforms and clout to raise awareness. Darlene Superville, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2023 The home run reminded folks that Schwarber clouted a Darvish pitch just last October, into Petco Park’s upper deck beyond right field, during the National League Championship Series. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2023 After Trump left his office, his allies, with money to make and clout to keep, turned to Saudi Arabia as a business pipeline. New York Times, 27 July 2022 That’s because, despite your plutonium card status, earned by staying across that group’s thousands of properties, advisors have clout with that particular hotel based on regularly booking clients there. Doug Gollan, Forbes, 7 June 2021 The researchers then clout the strontium with a laser that puts the atoms in a superposition state. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 13 Apr. 2020

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.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English clūt; akin to Middle High German klōz lump, Russian gluda

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clout was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near clout

Cite this Entry

“Clout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clout. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clout

noun
ˈklau̇t
1
: a blow especially with the hand or with a baseball bat
2
: influence entry 1 sense 1
political clout
clout verb

More from Merriam-Webster on clout

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