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

There is a scorer and someone to run the clock — often a member of the Knueppel family. —Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026

The only time the clock stops is if there is an injury. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026

Those two positions will be a priority when the Chiefs are on the clock for the NFL Draft in two weeks. —Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026

Suarez has also scored a crucial equaliser away at title-rivals Porto with 99 minutes on the clock, as well as the winner against Francesco Farioli’s side in the cup. —Thom Harris, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for the clock

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