as in punching
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
sick of being insulted, he swung around and clocked his tormentor hard enough to knock him off his bar stool
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of clocking
Never having stepped on a track before, Pulido became one of the top San Diego-Imperial AAU runners in the spring, finishing third in the 3000-meter run at the USA Track and Field Championships, clocking a personal best time of 10-mnutes, 44-seconds.
—
Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
The very strongest moments of DMV, CBS’ brand-new single-cam, tap into that sense of stuck-ness, intensified by clocking in each day to that most purgatorial of government institutions.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
Markets tumbled on the back of the president’s tariff threat, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq each clocking their worst days since April.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
There’s no shame in clocking a bit behind MacKinnon; save a few, that’s true for every player in the league.
—The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2025
Spilling the Sweet Southern Hospitality Vegas, brace yourself – Charleston’s hottest nightlife crew is clocking in for a show-stopping shift with Republic-level revelry.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 30 Sep. 2025
The stars of Scrubs are clocking back in for another shift together.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2025
The degree to which vacuum pressure approaches pure nothingness is measured in pascals, with Earth’s atmosphere clocking in at 105 Pa and intergalactic space at a measly 10-20.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2025
If someone is disengaged but still clocking in, that work has to be absorbed by other team members, which can create additional stress and drag down productivity across the board, said SHRM's Atkinson.
—Charlotte Morabito, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
The very strongest moments of DMV, CBS’ brand-new single-cam, tap into that sense of stuck-ness, intensified by clocking in each day to that most purgatorial of government institutions.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
Markets tumbled on the back of the president’s tariff threat, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq each clocking their worst days since April.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
There’s no shame in clocking a bit behind MacKinnon; save a few, that’s true for every player in the league.
—The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2025
Spilling the Sweet Southern Hospitality Vegas, brace yourself – Charleston’s hottest nightlife crew is clocking in for a show-stopping shift with Republic-level revelry.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 30 Sep. 2025
The stars of Scrubs are clocking back in for another shift together.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Sep. 2025
The degree to which vacuum pressure approaches pure nothingness is measured in pascals, with Earth’s atmosphere clocking in at 105 Pa and intergalactic space at a measly 10-20.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2025
If someone is disengaged but still clocking in, that work has to be absorbed by other team members, which can create additional stress and drag down productivity across the board, said SHRM's Atkinson.
—Charlotte Morabito, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clocking
Verb
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Sam Khan spent some time inside the North Texas program for a look at how the Mean Green are punching above their weight.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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The student who Kamo’s son was initially trying to avoid began punching him.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Gausman had retired 17 straight Dodger batters until the seventh inning, when Smith yet again got the best of him, hitting a solo home run to break the stale mate.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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The singing voices behind KPop Demon Hunters' beloved girl group HUNTR/X will be hitting the stage to perform live in concert for the first time.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Known as knockers in England, kobolds also live in caves and mines and make knocking noises directing human miners where to dig.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Another victim came to court, recounting a history of domestic abuse including choking and slapping by the defendant.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
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Payton lit into Moss on the sideline, slapping his clipboard, after the cornerback got a bit too handsy with Giants receiver Beaux Collins in the end zone.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Maeve is in the hen house with Jayson, banging his gun around and nearly strangling her.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
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The audience is put into her shoes, only able to decipher what is going on by listening to the men banging around the house trying to kill her.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Back in 1961, residents of Capitola woke up to find that hordes of black seabirds were slamming into cars, windows and people's homes and dying.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Ford said earlier that his province was spending $75 million to run ads in the United States slamming the impact of tariffs and featuring clips of Reagan.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The two had a peculiar conversation where Hawkins said Clifton missed smacking her rear end.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
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The first of 12 projects outlined in the book is a literal slapstick, the classic vaudeville tool used to imitate the sound of smacking someone with a stick.—
Michael Roberts,
Outside,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Next to a wooden model of an ibis and a Brazil shirt signed by 1994 World Cup winner Ricardo Rocha is a small newspaper clipping.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
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Tie branches with twine and add evergreen tassels, then insert photos in the branches, clipping them on, if needed, to hold in place.—
Emily Williams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clocking. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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