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
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.
Any lapse in training can push the clock back. Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025 Hoover helped the offense convert two pivotal third downs on the decisive drive late in the fourth quarter as the Horned Frogs took over six minutes off the clock before McCashland’s field goal. Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Oct. 2025 Miami owned the clock, ran almost twice as many plays. Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025 Police were racing the clock to find the intruders; experts say thieves of such treasures typically dismantle or melt down the loot, sometimes within hours, to avoid being caught. Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for the clock

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Cite this Entry

“The clock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20clock. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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