clout

1 a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the stubborn handle a solid clout to make it turn Synonyms bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, blow, crack, cuff, dab, douse [British], fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup [dialect], lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop (also whap)Related Words counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke; body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut; cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO; bastinado (or bastinade), battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling (or cudgelling), drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), thrashing; flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

2 the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly has a great deal of clout in the film industry Synonyms authority, influence, credit, heft, in, juice [slang], leverage, pull, sway, weightRelated Words counterinfluence; command, dominance, dominion, mastery, predominance, reign, scepter, sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacy; consequence, eminence, importance, moment; impact, impress, impression, imprint, markNear Antonyms helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness