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
Relevance
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
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
Noun
-
The layoffs are the latest in a series of blows to Bay Area employees in tech and manufacturing sectors.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026 -
Multifaceted crisis The latest announcement is the latest in a string of blows for the crumbling former royal palace, amid growing complaints that the museum’s infrastructure and staffing haven’t kept pace with the crowds pouring through its galleries.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Designed by Hong Kong wunderkind Andre Fu, the hotel’s serene interiors balance understated Japanese influences with extraordinary harbor, city, and mountain views.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Exhibits — including displays of traditional art and the accounts of community members’ experiences — show how isolation on coastal and island plantations led them to create a culture, food and language of their own, drawing heavily on influences carried from Africa.—
Adam Kuehl,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Is this violence different from the time in her childhood when Irene slaps her?—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Boston Blue slaps a fresh coat of paint on Blue Bloods, the CBS procedural that ended its 14-season run last year.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
After ensuring the donor area is properly numbed, the medical team will remove individual hair grafts one by one with tiny punches.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Through punches and pummeling, cheating and cursing, their bond remained (mostly) intact.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While this tends to be the case for any Mercury retrograde, those themes are bolstered by the fact that this Mercury retrograde hits your twelfth house of spirituality.—
Maressa Brown,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The star produces x-rays as its stellar wind hits the cooler interstellar medium surrounding the star.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown, neighbors can still hear the thumps.—
Tyler Jett,
Des Moines Register,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Squad' rep's felon husband smacks phone from reporter 3.—
,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Just as this monster is about to take out the entire team on the Abyss, a giant boulder flies through the air and smacks him in the face.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Muffled thuds are heard, and the crying stops.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
At about two this morning, the familiar howl of air-raid sirens woke me in the center of Kyiv, followed by the low thuds of anti-aircraft cannons attempting to shoot down Russian drones.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Clouts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clouts. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
