clonk

verb

ˈkläŋk How to pronounce clonk (audio)
ˈklȯŋk
clonked; clonking; clonks

intransitive verb

: to make a dull hollow thumping sound

transitive verb

: to cause to clonk
clonk noun

Examples of clonk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In addition, the theme didn’t immediately clonk me on the head. Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2020 Shelby shows up at the Miles residence, and Ken, who has a beef with him, clonks him on the nose; soon the two of them are slugging it out on a patch of grass across the street. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2019 One day, a can of beans fell off a shelf and clonked him on the head. James R. Hagerty, WSJ, 6 July 2018 Heavy, clonking boots are not the right choice for the silent examination of Van Gogh. Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Mar. 2018 Vica’s now 35, still an ultrasound tech, and Sergey is clonking ineffectually around the margins of the finance world. Charles Bock, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clonk.' 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

imitative

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of clonk was in 1930

Dictionary Entries Near clonk

Cite this Entry

“Clonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clonk. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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