the clock

noun

1

: a clock that is used in sports and that shows how much time remains for a particular part of a game

They were winning by 2 points with 10 seconds (left) on the clock.

They stopped the (game) clock with eight seconds remaining.

2

: a special clock that is used to record the times when an employee starts and stops working : time clock

I punched the clock at 8:45 and started working right away.

3

chiefly British : a device that shows how far a vehicle has traveled

a car with 100,000 miles on the clock

Examples of the clock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As for getting this to a vote, the clock was ticking and both the SEC and Big Ten knew it. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026

As the clock ticks down to the start of school for many students and teachers across the southern United States, heat risks will linger for much of the nation as above-normal summertime temperatures continue. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026

The offense marched down the field and stopped the clock with three seconds left at the 33, which was enough for a successful drill. — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 31 July 2026

But the clock will start up again just soon as Ellison gets clearance to land … and the likelihood of a successful merger with WBD still looks to be at about 85%. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026

Rhymes for the clock

• alcock
• beanstalk
• bedrock
• boardwalk
• catwalk
• cornstalk
• crosswalk
• deadlock
• feedstock
• fetlock
• flintlock
• goshawk