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
Relevance
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
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
Tess Wilkinson-Ryan, TIME, 18 Mar. 2025
Compared with teachers, public employees, trade unions and other political heavyweights, cities and counties don’t have much clout in the capital.
—Bill Fulton, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for clout
Noun
Trump’s obsessive policing of who’s the sucker has given him political clout with a populace trained to be vigilant to the prospect of being scammed—even by the least plausible fraudsters.
—Tess Wilkinson-Ryan, TIME, 18 Mar. 2025
Compared with teachers, public employees, trade unions and other political heavyweights, cities and counties don’t have much clout in the capital.
—Bill Fulton, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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
See All Example Sentences for clout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clout
Noun
-
That’s a major blow to both sales and long-term customer loyalty.—
Samuel Mueller,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
His ruling, stopping the TPS revocation while the lawsuit plays out in his court, was a blow to the Trump administration.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
That economic footprint is matched by political and organizational influence.—
Ronak D. Desai,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
When a 1999 Top 100 list by a gay and lesbian publishing group failed to include Patricia Nell-Warren’s 1974 novel The Front Runner, many readers loudly objected, noting its influence on their own coming-out journeys.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
On April 25, 2000, Acosta, 49, was abducted by Michael Tanzi, a 23-year-old Massachusetts drifter who asked Acosta for a cigarette, punched her and threw her into her Plymouth Voyager van.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The Texas high school soccer UIL state semifinals are here, and several Fort Worth-area teams are looking to punch their tickets to a state championship.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But Jones tied it with a one-time slap shot from the right point with 6:04 left in the period.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The attack escalated with The Rock using a belt and Travis Scott's intervention, which included a slap that visibly injured Rhodes.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Federal District Judge Dale E. Ho last week dismissed the charges against Mr. Adams with prejudice, meaning prosecutors can no longer revisit them, reducing the administration’s leverage to force the mayor to do its bidding.—
Jeffery C. Mays,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Your consultants will highlight such risks to PE firms, providing leverage in negotiations and ensuring compliance post-acquisition.—
David Van Ronk,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Pennsylvania’s drift to the right was the fourth largest of the seven, smack in the middle.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Still, the Yankees managed to make things interesting in the ninth inning, as Volpe smacked a three-run homer off Arizona lefty A.J. Puk to cut the deficit to one.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Rami Sinno is crouched beside a filing cabinet, wrestling a beach-ball sized disc out of a box, when a dull thump echoes around his laboratory.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Then the silence was broken by the loud thump of Olive’s .38/40.—
Horace R. Hinkley,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Nigel Slater’s paean to the likes of St. John and the River Café, places that still hold sway today.—
Amiel Stanek,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Apr. 2025
-
At that point, rather than consulting someone who obsesses over how caffeine focuses us by blocking adenosine receptors in the basal forebrain, philosophers should hold sway.—
Jessica Riskin,
The New York Review of Books,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clout. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share