1
a
: a wedge-shaped piece fastened to or projecting from something and serving as a support or check
b
: a wooden or metal fitting usually with two projecting horns around which a rope may be made fast
2
a
: a strip fastened across something to give strength or hold in position
b(1)
: a projecting piece (as on the bottom of a shoe) that furnishes a grip
(2)
cleated; cleating; cleats
Examples of cleat in a Sentence
Noun
a football player wearing cleats
Recent Examples on the Web
Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Arnett, meantime, plays a father who needs to pick up soccer cleats for his daughter.
—Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024
Photos of players and coach Dan Campbell, signed helmets and signed football cleats line the hallways.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 27 Jan. 2024
Photos show the people cutting through the statue near its base, leaving nothing but Robinson’s bronze baseball cleats.
—Morgan Chesky, NBC News, 30 Jan. 2024
The Philadelphia Eagles center held a press conference to announce his retirement from the league after 13 years on the team
Jason Kelce has officially hung up his cleats and retired from the NFL.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
The San Francisco 49ers all-pro receiver happened to look at his feet and noticed that a ladybug was attached to one of his cleats.
—USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Eventually, Fleenor landed the helicopter atop the glacier and handed me a pair of ice cleats to slide over my boots.
—David Amsden, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2024
Detroit’s City Walls program sources local artists to paint the cleats, which will be auctioned off with proceeds sent toward a charity of the artist’s choice.
—Detroit Free Press, 21 Feb. 2024
Philip Elliott, Time, 10 July 2023
Offensive tackle Michael Wooten warmed up with the limited group but had full pads and cleats on.
—oregonlive, 9 Apr. 2023
Attach the angle cleats at the mark and below the cubbies with 1-5/8-inch screws for support.
—Lucy Wendel, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Apr. 2020
In 2018, James gifted OSU football players black his signature Nike Soldier XII cleats for the team’s game against Nebraska.
—Joey Morona, cleveland, 24 Dec. 2019
In 2018, James gifted OSU football players his black signature Nike Soldier XII cleats for the team’s game against Nebraska.
—cleveland, 24 Dec. 2019
Lopez is a shoe designer on the side, and Betts, who is sponsored by Jordan Brand, wanted three customized Jordan XIII cleats from him.
—Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2019
Vikings safety Anthony Harris, who enrolled at Virginia a year after Love’s death, also has worn One Love Foundation cleats each of the past two seasons.
—Chris Tomasson, Twin Cities, 8 July 2019
The Elks defeated the Red Sox, 11-6, in a game that offered a double whammy to La Cañada, which had a player ejected and suspended for allegedly cleating an Elks player on a play at first base.
—Andrew J. Campa, latimes.com, 24 May 2018
Noun
Among the major storylines in Kelce, the former Philadelphia Eagles star opened up about grappling with retirement and the subsequent emotions of hanging up his cleats.
—Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Arnett, meantime, plays a father who needs to pick up soccer cleats for his daughter.
—Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024
Photos of players and coach Dan Campbell, signed helmets and signed football cleats line the hallways.
—Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 27 Jan. 2024
Photos show the people cutting through the statue near its base, leaving nothing but Robinson’s bronze baseball cleats.
—Morgan Chesky, NBC News, 30 Jan. 2024
The Philadelphia Eagles center held a press conference to announce his retirement from the league after 13 years on the team
Jason Kelce has officially hung up his cleats and retired from the NFL.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
The San Francisco 49ers all-pro receiver happened to look at his feet and noticed that a ladybug was attached to one of his cleats.
—USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Eventually, Fleenor landed the helicopter atop the glacier and handed me a pair of ice cleats to slide over my boots.
—David Amsden, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2024
Detroit’s City Walls program sources local artists to paint the cleats, which will be auctioned off with proceeds sent toward a charity of the artist’s choice.
—Detroit Free Press, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
To put it plainly: the GOP still hasn’t learned that its dancing partner is wearing boots cleated with arsenic.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 July 2023
Offensive tackle Michael Wooten warmed up with the limited group but had full pads and cleats on.
—oregonlive, 9 Apr. 2023
Attach the angle cleats at the mark and below the cubbies with 1-5/8-inch screws for support.
—Lucy Wendel, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Apr. 2020
In 2018, James gifted OSU football players black his signature Nike Soldier XII cleats for the team’s game against Nebraska.
—Joey Morona, cleveland, 24 Dec. 2019
In 2018, James gifted OSU football players his black signature Nike Soldier XII cleats for the team’s game against Nebraska.
—cleveland, 24 Dec. 2019
Lopez is a shoe designer on the side, and Betts, who is sponsored by Jordan Brand, wanted three customized Jordan XIII cleats from him.
—Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2019
Vikings safety Anthony Harris, who enrolled at Virginia a year after Love’s death, also has worn One Love Foundation cleats each of the past two seasons.
—Chris Tomasson, Twin Cities, 8 July 2019
The Elks defeated the Red Sox, 11-6, in a game that offered a double whammy to La Cañada, which had a player ejected and suspended for allegedly cleating an Elks player on a play at first base.
—Andrew J. Campa, latimes.com, 24 May 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cleat.' 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 cleat
Cite this Entry
“Cleat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleat. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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