clouts 1 of 2

noun

plural of clout
1
as in blows
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

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2
as in influences
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

clouts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of clout
as in slaps
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clouts
  1. blows
  2. influences
  3. slaps
  4. punches
  5. hits
  6. thumps
  7. smacks
  8. thuds
Noun
  • Ditka and Ryan had an often adversarial relationship, with the two nearly coming to blows during halftime of the team's only 1985 season loss, to the Miami Dolphins.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Even with a human controlling the machine remotely, LaPenna was still trading blows with a heavy metal robot capable of putting real force behind its movements.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of blows
Noun
  • The result is, literally, a mash-up of everything about the couple’s style, taste, backgrounds, and influences.
    — Plum Sykes, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Bowie was an admirer or German Expressionism, dating back to his years in Berlin in the ’70s, and also of School of London artists Leon Kossoff and Frank Auerbach — the influences of which can all be seen in his own work.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of influences
Verb
  • As the child puts his hands up, Bible says Campbell slaps them away, then drags him off the field.
    — Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Nothing slaps like the original, but the upcoming reboot looks kinda cool.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of slaps
Noun
  • The fight took a physical toll on LaPenna The physical side of the fight became pretty clear once LaPenna started trading punches with the robots.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Canada’s import bans Washington may be taking a light touch approach to the AI industry, but the administration is pulling no punches with Canada.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of punches
Verb
  • And the next second, the second bomb hits right in front of the left of the car.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Brightline only hits its top speed during a 38-mile stretch near Orlando.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of hits
Noun
  • The lower-vocal harmony struggles to stand out any time the deeper bass thumps.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Agents yelled from every direction, and the thumps of a news helicopter overhead were deafening.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Definition of thumps
Verb
  • And there’s rarely time to digest one controversy before the next one comes barreling down the road and smacks us in the mouth.
    — Bernard Goldberg, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In a fight with yet more mercenaries, Reacher smacks a gun out of a guy’s hand using one of Philadelphia’s moving subway trains.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of smacks
Noun
  • Rapp, up on Taft Point, heard two thuds.
    — Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • Likewise, the score by Tony Doogan leans too heavily on generic electronic thuds, the kind that segue into a commercial break cliffhanger and an ad for blood pressure medicine.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of thuds
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

clouting
clouts
cloverleaf
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Cite this Entry

“Clouts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clouts. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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