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
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Recent Examples of clout
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
To my eye, these old-school buyer/seller metrics give property owners an incorrect sense of their market clout.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 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
There's a voice from an athlete who's been in multiple Olympics and is carrying a certain clout.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
To my eye, these old-school buyer/seller metrics give property owners an incorrect sense of their market clout.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 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
-
Case considered a blow to Hong Kong media Lai founded Apple Daily in 1995, two years before Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule after 156 years as a British colony.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Liverpool were their own worst enemy as their hopes of Champions League qualification suffered another blow.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Global celebrity influence Zendaya begins her brand ambassadorship at Louis Vuitton — and is the face of its 2026 130th anniversary campaign.—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Pinder described the choir’s sound as modern gospel with influences from contemporary Christian music and Caribbean traditions.—
Jonel Juste,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Abigail Boyd, an opposition Green lawmaker in the state parliament, said she had been punched by officers while attempting to vacate the site.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
-
But McCalla then got up, pursued Mudd and punched him.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Let’s go with the speedy Maloney, who may not have a home run in her career but is arguably the college game’s premier slap hitter.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
-
After faking a slap shot, Kucherov had sent a pass down to Guentzel.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Maxwell could also hope to use her potential testimony before Congress as leverage going forward.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Panarin has a no-move clause, and apparently was quite willing to use it as leverage to control his destination.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But tens of thousands of films are made each year, and quite a few of them break the rules, defy conventional narrative expectations and smack us deep in our souls.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Shepard attached the head of a 6-iron golf club to his sample collecting tool and was recorded smacking a couple golf balls across the lunar landscape.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
The only recognizable Mustard tic is the ubiquitous finger snaps, which mostly add sway.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Banks and supermarkets sit on corners where drug dealers held sway.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clout. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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