: the closing or limitation of debate in a legislative body especially by calling for a vote
clotured; cloturing; clotures
: to close (debate) in a legislative body by cloture
Debate over the bill was short Tuesday evening. After an initial debate Tuesday afternoon, Senate Republicans clotured debate when the bill returned later in the day.—
Brian Lyman
Brian LymanExamples of cloture in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mike Lillis, The Hill, 18 Sep. 2025
On Saturday, Judge Jason A. Reding Quiñones secured a 51-41 cloture vote in the U.S. Senate.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
The nomination was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and a cloture motion was presented in the Senate on July 29.
—Ally Goelz, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2025
Because 60 votes are required to cut off debate (known as cloture) — and effectively, pass a law — if a group of 41 or more senators simply threatens a filibuster, the Senate majority leader can just refuse to call a vote, the Brennan Center for Justice explains.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cloture
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Noun
But because of the 60-vote cloture threshold in the Senate, Republicans still need buy-in from Democrats to advance major must-pass legislation like government funding and the annual defense authorization bill.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 18 Sep. 2025
On Saturday, Judge Jason A. Reding Quiñones secured a 51-41 cloture vote in the U.S. Senate.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
The nomination was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and a cloture motion was presented in the Senate on July 29.
—Ally Goelz, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2025
Because 60 votes are required to cut off debate (known as cloture) — and effectively, pass a law — if a group of 41 or more senators simply threatens a filibuster, the Senate majority leader can just refuse to call a vote, the Brennan Center for Justice explains.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cloture
Cite this Entry
“Cloture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloture. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
cloture
noun
clo·ture
ˈklō-chər 
: the closing or limitation of debate in a legislative body especially by calling for a vote
cloture
transitive verb
Etymology
Noun
French clôture, literally, closure
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