click

verb \ ˈklik \

Definition of click

transitive verb

1 :to strike, move, or produce with a click

clicked his heels together

2 :to select especially in a computer interface by pressing a button on a control device (such as a mouse)

3 a :to turn (something) on or off by pushing a button or moving a switch

She clicked off the light, and we were plunged into darkness again.
—Pam Zollman

… I just kept fumbling till I found the remote and pulled it up out of the cracks of the couch and clicked the TV off.
—Donald Hays

b :to change or move through (channels) especially by pushing buttons on a remote control

intransitive verb

1 :to make a click

2 a :to fit or agree exactly

b :to fit together :hit it off

they did not click as friends

c :to function smoothly

d :succeed

a movie that clicks

3 :to select something by clicking —often used with on

click on the icon

4 :to change to a different channel or move through channels especially by pushing buttons on a remote control

She fiddled with the remote control until the TV turned on. She clicked through the channels.
—Juanita Carter

—

clickable

play \ˈkli-kə-bəl\ adjective

See click defined for English-language learners

See click defined for kids

Examples of click in a Sentence

He clicked his heels together and saluted the officer.
Her heels clicked on the marble floor.
Press the door until you hear the latch click.
To open the program, point at the icon and click the left mouse button.
Click here to check spelling in the document.
I know him fairly well, but we've never really clicked.

Recent Examples of click from the Web

Find out why and what Georgia police have to say about it by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2udLIlG The AJC’s investigative team is your watchdog on government and other powerful institutions.

— ajc homepage, ajc, "Police to ramp up asset seizures," 20 July 2017
Here is a list of cooling centers: Hamden: Click here for operating hours at the 11 locations listed below.

— sandra gomez-aceves, courant.com, "Towns Opening Cooling Centers Ahead Of Heat Wave," 20 July 2017
Pegasus sends text messages to targets, encouraging them to click on a link.

— elisabeth malkin, New York Times, "Mexican Hacking Case Deserves Independent Inquiry, U.N. Envoys Say," 19 July 2017
To access complete recaps of both hours of Wednesday's show click the links below.

— jeff duncan, NOLA.com, "Scouting New Orleans' future Super Bowl prospects, 2017 Tulane football: Dunc & Holder Ep. #3 rewind," 19 July 2017
For more information call 205-812-0445 or visit the clinic website by clicking here.

— erin edgemon, AL.com, "UAB Callahan Eye Hospital to open new full-service clinic in Pell City," 18 July 2017
And one more thing: Before you click away from this story feeling all warm and fuzzy about one refugee's success story, take a moment to remember that the world is currently in the midst of an unprecedented refugee crisis.

— shay maunz, Glamour, "Why This Graduate's Tribute to her Immigrant Mom is Going Viral," 18 July 2017
But cast members Kate McKinnon (a winner last year), Leslie Jones, and Vanessa Bayer, who just left the series, were all nominated in the supporting actress category, which indicates that something about S.N.L. really clicked for voters this year.

— richard lawson, HWD, "2017 Emmy Nominations: This Year’s Biggest Snubs and Surprises," 13 July 2017
For more information and to purchase advanced tickets, go to http://www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com and click the shows link or call the box office at 410-244-8570 on Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

— lisa regnante, Howard County Times, "Enjoy a picnic and Shakespeare at Patapsco Female Institute [Ellicott City]," 7 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'click.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of click

probably imitative

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

click Synonyms

Synonyms

bond, commune, relate

Antonyms

bomb, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, founder, miss, strike out, wash out

Related Words

befriend; empathize, identify, sympathize

Near Antonyms

languish; flounder, struggle; decline, sink, skid, slip, slump, wane; crash, crater, crumble, flame out; choke, crack up, miscarry, misfire; fall down, go under; implode, self-destruct

click

noun

Definition of click

1 a :a slight sharp noise

b :a speech sound in some languages made by enclosing air between two stop articulations of the tongue, enlarging the enclosure to rarefy the air, and suddenly opening the enclosure

2 :detent

3 :an instance of clicking

a mouse click

See click defined for English-language learners

Examples of click in a Sentence

the click of her heels on marble
There was a click as the door closed behind him.
You can order movie tickets on the Internet with just a few clicks of your mouse.

Recent Examples of click from the Web

NOLA Profiles is a new series focusing on the creative folks — the artists, writers, musicians, techies and more — who make the Crescent City click.

— kadee krieger, NOLA.com, "WGNO's Tamica Lee has an easy, elegant style on and off screen. See a few of her favorite things," 8 Aug. 2017
That means moving the elevation adjustment 80 graduations or clicks down and the windage adjustment 32 clicks to the right.

— steve meyer, Alaska Dispatch News, "How to ensure your gun is as accurate and consistent as possible," 26 July 2017
As the last stragglers made their way out of the market onto East Broadway, shirts were discarded and pants rolled up, murmurs of after-parties and the clicks of cameras marking the recession.

— josh duboff, Vanities, "Jake Gyllenhaal and Julianne Moore Spent Their Tuesday Night in a Chinatown Market for Raf Simons," 12 July 2017
The anecdote may seem redundant in an age where information can be obtained at the click of a mouse and money managers are increasingly being bettered by funds that passively track indexes.

— natasha doff, Bloomberg.com, "Veteran Stock Picker Has Tip for Active Managers: Try Harder," 6 July 2017
Sign up: With one click, get this newsletter delivered to your inbox.

— paul page, WSJ, "Today’s Top Supply Chain and Logistics News From WSJ," 27 June 2017
But journalists are to blame as well, for taking the bait, and for doing their own hyping to get those sweet sweet clicks.

— julie beck, The Atlantic, "'Of All the Categories of Fake News, Health News Is the Worst'," 25 June 2017
In neighborhoods affected by the defoliation plague, the crunch of caterpillars eating leaves, the click of caterpillar poop falling on wooden decking and the nonstop fluttering-down of ragged leaf bits have become the sights and the sounds of June.

— susan dunne, courant.com, "Cleaning Gypsy Moth Droppings Off Of Driveways, Decks, Cars," 20 June 2017
Cars, blocks and teething rings fit snuggly and securely across from the tot's lunch — held together with sturdy click-and-go locks.

— sarah schreiber, Good Housekeeping, "After Losing His Kid's Lunchbox, One Guy Did the Most Dad Thing Ever," 16 June 2017

First Known Use of click

1611

CLICK Defined for English Language Learners

click

verb

Definition of click for English Language Learners

: to cause (something) to make a short, sharp sound
: to make a short, sharp sound : to make a click
computers : to press a button on a mouse or some other device in order to make something happen on a computer

click

noun

Definition of click for English Language Learners

: a short, sharp sound
: the act of selecting something on a computer screen by pressing a button on a mouse or some other device

CLICK Defined for Kids

click

verb \ ˈklik \

Definition of click for Students

clicked; clicking

1 :to make or cause to make a slight sharp noise

He has a habit of clicking his tongue.

2 :to fit in or work together smoothly

By the middle of the season the team clicked.

3 :to select or make a selection especially on a computer by pressing a button on a control device (as a mouse)

Click on the icon to open the program.

click

noun

Definition of click for Students

:a slight sharp noise

Medical Dictionary

click

noun \ ˈklik \

medical Definition of click

:a short sharp sound heard in auscultation and associated with various abnormalities of the heart

Learn More about click

See words that rhyme with click Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for click Spanish Central: Translation of click Nglish: Translation of click for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of click for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about click

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up click? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

click

Definition of click

clickable

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Examples of click in a Sentence

Recent Examples of click from the Web

Origin and Etymology of click

click Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

click

Definition of click

Examples of click in a Sentence

Recent Examples of click from the Web

First Known Use of click

Phrases Related to CLICK

Related Phrases

CLICK Defined for English Language Learners

click

Definition of click for English Language Learners

click

Definition of click for English Language Learners

CLICK Defined for Kids

click

Definition of click for Students

click

Definition of click for Students

Medical Dictionary

click

medical Definition of click

Learn More about click

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066