clanger

noun

clang·​er ˈklaŋ-ər How to pronounce clanger (audio)
British
: a conspicuous blunder
often used in the phrase drop a clanger

Examples of clanger in a Sentence

They lost the game after a defensive clanger. a newsreader who memorably dropped a clanger when she referred to Robert Burns as an English poet
Recent Examples on the Web The veined wing of the clanger cicada kills bacteria solely through its physical structure — one of the first natural surfaces found to do so. Trevor Quirk, Scientific American, 5 Mar. 2013 But only new centre back David Luiz has provided clangers in defence in more than one game, losing Ashley Barnes with some schoolboy marking against Burnley before that shirt pull on Mohamed Salah at Anfield. SI.com, 7 Sep. 2019 Another game against Chelsea and another clanger for Lloris - this time during the Lilywhites tenure at Wembley. SI.com, 30 Sep. 2019 This doesn't stop players from slipping every now and again, or dropping a social clanger or two. SI.com, 29 Sep. 2019 This is hardly surprising given the Spaniard's mixed start to life at Anfield, making a clanger while trying to play out from the back which handed Danny Ings a goal in the narrow victory over Southampton. SI.com, 3 Sep. 2019 For years the clanger has dangled in the middle, banging against the bell’s iron walls for two states to hear, back and forth from Indiana to Ohio to Indiana to Ohio … WHERE’S GREGG? Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, 3 July 2019 Despite showing solidarity on the pitch, matters were complicated when Bale's agent dropped an inadvertent clanger on local radio, stating the pair didn't get along. SI.com, 1 Apr. 2018 His most recent clanger came against Southampton in the Gunners' last league game. SI.com, 12 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clanger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clanger was in 1948

Dictionary Entries Near clanger

Cite this Entry

“Clanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clanger. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

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