clothesline

1 of 2

noun

clothes·​line ˈklōz-ˌlīn How to pronounce clothesline (audio)
 also  ˈklōt͟hz-
: a line (as of cord) on which clothes may be hung to dry

clothesline

2 of 2

verb

clotheslined; clotheslining; clotheslines

transitive verb

: to knock down (someone, such as a football player) by catching by the neck with an outstretched arm

Examples of clothesline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
The fugitive runs for it, crashing through clotheslines made of jump ropes, crashing on the floor several times, climbing the bike racks and leaping over the wall to his secret sanctuary. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025 This opened the door for Bella to mount a comeback with a series of clotheslines and a baseball slide. Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
Travis Jones beat guard Ben Cleveland inside and nearly clotheslined Henry to make the stop. Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 23 July 2024 At one point, as part of the show, Feldman had to pretend to get clotheslined by a wrestler. Stayton Bonner, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for clothesline

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1830, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clothesline was in 1830

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clothesline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clothesline. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

clothesline

noun
clothes·​line
-ˌlīn
: a line (as of cord) on which clothes may be hung to dry
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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