1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the stubborn handle a solid clout to make it turn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
has a great deal of clout in the film industry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to punch
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
clouted the nail with the hammer and drove it all the way into the wood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of clout
ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
Health care systems — and hospitals, in particular — are gaining more clout in negotiations amid rapid consolidation.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
The recall was widely seen as a litmus test for how much clout the national conservative group can wield in non-partisan local politics.
—Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clout
Noun
Hamas' attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent war in Gaza became a dividing line in American politics as Shapiro's clout was rising.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
Health care systems — and hospitals, in particular — are gaining more clout in negotiations amid rapid consolidation.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026
Verb
Pellegrino, a 6-foot-3 forward who’s nearly devoid of body fat and brims with energy, clouted the ball out the air for the third goal and ran toward the supporters section, raising the crowd’s volume.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
The recall was widely seen as a litmus test for how much clout the national conservative group can wield in non-partisan local politics.
—Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clout
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clout
Noun
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Decades of Western sanctions had already left the country isolated and economically battered before American and Israeli strikes in June 2025 dealt his rule a severe blow.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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But the draw is a blow to Leverkusen’s hopes of reaching fourth place in the race for Champions League qualification.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The diversity of influences continued throughout the record and the performances on Monday.—
Peter Larsen,
Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
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Oseguera was the leader and co-founder of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a criminal group that has rapidly expanded its influence in recent years, becoming one of the main traffickers of methamphetamine and fentanyl into the US.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Belt-Stubblefield ignored orders to stop and raised his hands, and Neely punched him in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, according to Chamberlain’s account in the days after the shooting.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
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But in the background, financial markets keep punching above their weight.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Our way of redressing that was by removing the slap and getting Harry to perform eagerness more.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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Moore glided down from the right point and into a slap shot for his third goal of the year.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Bloomberg has reported that regulators also are trying to determine whether Netflix has exerted leverage over creators in negotiations when acquiring programming to build its catalog.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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While the specific destinations of the carriers have not been publicly disclosed for operational security reasons, their presence alone signals escalatory leverage and deterrence.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There was that type of moment Tuesday, when Joe Mack – considered one of the top catching prospects in baseball - smacked a fifth-inning grand slam off Phillies’ minor league pitcher Andrew Walling in a 6-1 Marlins win.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
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With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 of last year’s World Series, Ernie Clement smacked a fly ball off Yoshinobu Yamamoto into the left-center-field gap with the bases loaded and the score tied.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Pitchers and catchers report This week, Albernaz gets a glimpse of his pitching staff and catchers, before the thump of an offensive lineup joins the workouts.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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For what felt like an eternity — but was really 20 minutes — the whole place was enveloped in an eerie silence, the only sound being the steady thump of techno-pop playing through the loudspeakers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Corporate funders of a museum, who may have government contracts, could also have sway over programming.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Feb. 2026
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Its ornate crown and slender profile present significant structural challenges, particularly in managing sway and occupant comfort at extreme height.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clout. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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