1
a
: a wedge-shaped piece fastened to or projecting from something and serving as a support or check
b
: a wooden or metal fitting usually with two projecting horns around which a rope may be made fast
2
a
: a strip fastened across something to give strength or hold in position
b(1)
: a projecting piece (as on the bottom of a shoe) that furnishes a grip
(2)
cleated; cleating; cleats
Examples of cleat in a Sentence
Noun
a football player wearing cleats
Recent Examples on the Web
Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 4 Feb. 2025
The 5-foot-11 standout has been a varsity starter for the basketball team for the last three seasons, routinely trading in his cleats for sneakers once football season ends.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025
For instance, producing a video of a soccer match might require not just rendering a ball bouncing off cleats, but developing models of physics, tactics, and players’ thought processes.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
His cleats for My Cause My Cleats weekend will spread awareness for sarcoma, a rare cancer of the bone and connective soft tissue.
—Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cleat 
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Noun
Hurts wore a black sweatshirt with a photo of the cleats that got him in trouble with the NFL earlier this season.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 4 Feb. 2025
The 5-foot-11 standout has been a varsity starter for the basketball team for the last three seasons, routinely trading in his cleats for sneakers once football season ends.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025
For instance, producing a video of a soccer match might require not just rendering a ball bouncing off cleats, but developing models of physics, tactics, and players’ thought processes.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
His cleats for My Cause My Cleats weekend will spread awareness for sarcoma, a rare cancer of the bone and connective soft tissue.
—Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cleat
Dictionary Entries Near cleat
Cite this Entry
“Cleat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleat. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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