clunk

1 of 2

verb

clunked; clunking; clunks

intransitive verb

1
: to make a clunk
2
: to hit something with a clunk

transitive verb

: to strike or hit with a clunk

clunk

2 of 2

noun

1
: a blow or the sound of a blow : thump
2
: a dull or stupid person

Examples of clunk in a Sentence

Noun The book hit the floor with a loud clunk. don't be such a clunk and just get on with it
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Ugg Fuzz Sugar Slide Ugg Fuzz Sugar Slide The Fuzz Sugar Slide looks a bit like a Birkenstock but has a more elevated, grippy sole and is lighter weight for padding around the house (and not clunking). Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2023 The bone seemed to clunk in but then kept slipping out again. Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2015 Candi Staton heard doors clunk open, and several pairs of footsteps approach. David Gambacorta, Longreads, 13 July 2022 And then watch another person shoot a 3-pointer and clunk it off the rim? Jason Gay, WSJ, 30 May 2022 Doors clunk reassuringly, trim panels are neatly finished, plastics are soft to the touch, and the central drive shifter feels great in the hand. Daniel Bentley, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2021 Other regular comments include the disconcertingly loud clunking noises that happen while plugged in at one of Tesla's fast-charging Superchargers. Dave Vanderwerp, Car and Driver, 16 Apr. 2020 The rod's bushings are a likely source of a clunking noise. Stef Schrader, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2020 In an instantly symbolic moment on Monday, Troy Price, the state Democratic chairman, was speaking at a news conference in Des Moines when the party’s logo fell off his lectern and clunked to the floor. Jack Healy, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2020
Noun
The sequential-shift Hewland six-speed transmission sitting behind you engages first gear with a brutal metallic clunk. Angus MacKenzie, Robb Report, 7 Dec. 2023 The swing, a thick piece of lumber, clunks against the bull’s tines. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 4 Oct. 2023 The sequential transmission engages first with a clunk, and there's the novelty of having to negotiate a clutch pedal to get moving. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 19 July 2023 Traffic, horns, people rushing around us, the clunk of tires over the streetcar tracks. USA Today, 26 June 2023 First, the clunk of a Jugs machine, followed quickly by the muffled zip of a football being launched. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 9 Oct. 2022 The transmission shifts with a clunk at low speeds, and the Nissan V-6 brings a buzzing vibration into the cabin. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 29 Nov. 2022 The clunk of the mug hitting the desk produced a spike in the mice's olfactory tubercle activity. Smriti Rao, Discover Magazine, 25 Feb. 2010 But those lugs are also low, long, and flat enough to handle hard dirt and even sections of pavement without too much clunk. Cory Smith, Outside Online, 18 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clunk.' 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

imitative

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1796, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clunk was circa 1796

Dictionary Entries Near clunk

Cite this Entry

“Clunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clunk. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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