clipped; clipping
1
2
a
: to hold in a tight grip : clutch
b
: to clasp, fasten, or secure with a clip
1
: any of various devices that grip, clasp, or hook
2
: a device to hold cartridges for charging the magazines of some rifles
also
: a magazine from which ammunition is fed into the chamber of a firearm
3
: something (such as a piece of jewelry) that is worn as an ornament or fastener and that is held in position by a clip
clipped; clipping
1
a
: to cut or cut off with or as if with shears
clip a dog's hair
clip an hour off traveling time
b
: to cut off the distal or outer part of
c(1)
(2)
: to cut items out of (a publication, such as a newspaper)
3
4
: to illegally block (an opposing player) in football
5
: to take money from unfairly or dishonestly especially by overcharging
the nightclub clipped the tourist for $200
1
: to clip something
2
: to travel or pass rapidly
3
: to clip an opposing player in football
1
a
b
: a 2-bladed instrument for cutting especially the nails
2
3
: an act of clipping
4
: a sharp blow
5
: rate sense 1a
continues at a brisk clip
6
: a single instance or occasion : time
he charged $10 a clip
—often used in the phrase at a cliptrained 1000 workers at a clip
Synonyms
Verb (2)
Noun (2)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of clip in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 29 Nov. 2023
The humorous clip finds Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser hanging by a fake fire, donning cowboy hats, performing in an MTV Unplugged setting, and using soul patches, among other cheeky homages.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2023
As of Tuesday, the sweet rescue clip has been viewed 42,000 times.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023
Its performance is reliable, with swift alerts and notifications, and there's HDR support so that your clips aren't blown out by bright lights.
—Matt Jancer, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023
Features like a wrist leash and clip that ensures they don't get separated in boot bags add convenience to the perfectly waterproof build.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023
The clips exhibit the life of a first generation Latino skateboarder in Los Angeles and Southern California.
—Roberto Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
The clip was almost certainly a deepfake, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice and the A.I.-detection company Reality Defender.
—Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2023
At times, mostly near the end, the performance clips can drag out, even when the artistry is at the highest level.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 26 Nov. 2023
Audrey Noble, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023
The Reel clipped together some especially precious moments of 2022 PEOPLE'S Sexiest Man Alive hanging out with furry friends on the shelter’s floor.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023
By Saturday, the storm system will clip coastal New England, bringing the potential for heavy rain from eastern Long Island to Downeast Maine.
—Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023
The Rivian, meanwhile, has continued in a southwest direction, clipping a separate car before slamming into the side of Raffallo’s Pizza.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2023
Tragically, McDonald died in 1966 when the helicopter clipped a power line.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
She’s repeatedly made the case that technological innovation will lead to an era of rising productivity and falling prices while criticizing Fed officials for unnecessarily crippling the economy (and clipping her fund’s wings) with rate hikes.
—Will Daniel, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2023
The songs were first sketched out on entry-level open-source audio software, Audacity, and then finalized on Ableton, with occasional distortion and clipping deliberately left in the tracks to preserve the album’s raw homemade origins.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 15 Nov. 2023
It can be hung around the neck or clipped onto waistbands to blow cool air up the shirt.
—Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023
See More
Noun
Earlier this week, it was revealed that a Catholic priest who allowed a scene from the clip to be filmed inside Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, had been relieved of his administrative duties, according to the New York Times.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 29 Nov. 2023
The humorous clip finds Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser hanging by a fake fire, donning cowboy hats, performing in an MTV Unplugged setting, and using soul patches, among other cheeky homages.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2023
As of Tuesday, the sweet rescue clip has been viewed 42,000 times.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023
Its performance is reliable, with swift alerts and notifications, and there's HDR support so that your clips aren't blown out by bright lights.
—Matt Jancer, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023
Features like a wrist leash and clip that ensures they don't get separated in boot bags add convenience to the perfectly waterproof build.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023
The clips exhibit the life of a first generation Latino skateboarder in Los Angeles and Southern California.
—Roberto Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
The clip was almost certainly a deepfake, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice and the A.I.-detection company Reality Defender.
—Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2023
At times, mostly near the end, the performance clips can drag out, even when the artistry is at the highest level.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 26 Nov. 2023
Verb
Simply clip your nails once a week until the gel is completely off.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023
The Reel clipped together some especially precious moments of 2022 PEOPLE'S Sexiest Man Alive hanging out with furry friends on the shelter’s floor.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023
By Saturday, the storm system will clip coastal New England, bringing the potential for heavy rain from eastern Long Island to Downeast Maine.
—Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023
The Rivian, meanwhile, has continued in a southwest direction, clipping a separate car before slamming into the side of Raffallo’s Pizza.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2023
Tragically, McDonald died in 1966 when the helicopter clipped a power line.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
She’s repeatedly made the case that technological innovation will lead to an era of rising productivity and falling prices while criticizing Fed officials for unnecessarily crippling the economy (and clipping her fund’s wings) with rate hikes.
—Will Daniel, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2023
The songs were first sketched out on entry-level open-source audio software, Audacity, and then finalized on Ableton, with occasional distortion and clipping deliberately left in the tracks to preserve the album’s raw homemade origins.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 15 Nov. 2023
It can be hung around the neck or clipped onto waistbands to blow cool air up the shirt.
—Hannah Rice, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clip.' 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
Verb (1)
Middle English clippen, from Old English clyppan; akin to Old High German klāftra fathom, Lithuanian globti to embrace
Verb (2)
Middle English clippen, from Old Norse klippa
First Known Use
Verb (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (1)
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun (2)
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of clip was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing clip
Articles Related to clip
Dictionary Entries Near clip
Cite this Entry
“Clip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clip. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
clip
2 of 4 noun1
: a device that grips, clasps, or hooks
2
: a device for loading cartridges into a firearm
also
: magazine sense 4a
3
: a piece of jewelry held by a clip
clip
3 of 4 verb
clipped; clipping
1
: to cut or cut off with or as if with shears
clip a hedge
clip out a news item
2
: to cut off or trim the hair or wool of
have the dog clipped
clip
4 of 4 noun1
: a two-bladed instrument for cutting especially the nails
2
: a section of filmed, videotaped, or recorded material
3
: an act of clipping
4
: a sharp blow
5
: a rapid pace
move along at a good clip
Etymology
Verb
Old English clyppan "to clasp"
Verb
Middle English clippen "to cut," of Norse origin
Medical Definition
clip
noun
: a device used to arrest bleeding from vessels or tissues during operations
More from Merriam-Webster on clip
Nglish: Translation of clip for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of clip for Arabic Speakers
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