clout
1 of 2noun
ˈklau̇t 
1
dialectal, chiefly British : a piece of cloth or leather : rag
2
: a blow especially with the hand
When she was naughty, she would get a clout from her mother.
also : a hard hit in baseball
3
: a white cloth on a stake or frame used as a target in archery
4
: pull, influence
political clout
She parlayed her box-office clout to wealth and independence
B. S. Pierre
B. S. Pierreclout
2 of 2verb
clouted; clouting; clouts
transitive verb
1
: to cover or patch with a clout
clouted his worn-out shoe with a piece of leather
2
: to hit forcefully
He clouted 19 home runs last year.
He clouted him on the back of the head.
Synonyms
Noun
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- 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
- whap
Verb
- bang
- bash
- bat
- belt
- biff
- bludgeon
- bob
- bonk
- bop
- box
- bust
- clap
- clip
- clobber
- clock
- crack
- hammer
- hit
- knock
- nail
- paste
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slog
- slug
- smack
- smite
- sock
- strike
- swat
- swipe
- tag
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- whack
- whale
- zap
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun She used her political clout to have another school built. gave the stubborn handle a solid clout to make it turn Verb He clouted 19 home runs last year. He'll clout me around the head if he finds out what I've done.
Recent Examples on the Web Amy Nicholson, Variety, 11 Sep. 2022 The Big Three use their vast economic clout to push a social and political agenda that many Americans don’t support and never voted for. Jed Rubenfeld, WSJ, 6 Sep. 2022 Working right means: Leaders cooperate and jointly use their clout. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2022 After all, if Trump goes all in for these Senate candidates in 2022 and they are rejected in battleground states, his clout within the party will be substantially weakened. Dean Obeidallah, CNN, 21 Aug. 2022 The latter option is bad because Daemon is tyrannical despite his limited clout. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Aug. 2022 For months, the Taliban had tried to bring him back into their fold, wary of his growing clout among some Afghan Shiites eager to rebel against a movement that persecuted them for decades. New York Times, 18 Aug. 2022 This keeps with its growing clout on the world stage. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2022 The San Jose Mercury News' Jon Wilner recently ranked Pac-12 presidents by their clout in the conference and Crow was ranked No. 4 on his list. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2022 New York Times, 27 July 2022 That’s because, despite your plutonium card status, earned by staying across that group’s thousands of properties, advisors have clout with that particular hotel based on regularly booking clients there. Doug Gollan, Forbes, 7 June 2021 The researchers then clout the strontium with a laser that puts the atoms in a superposition state. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 13 Apr. 2020 Jaxson Weber-Stewart and Jarrett Tjaden clouted back-to-back doubles for the big hits. Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 15 June 2019 In one of the South Zone tournament games, Atchley used his only two plate appearances to clout a double, sending a ball over the left fielder’s head, and hitting a single, giving him a team-leading three RBIs. Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 31 July 2019 Sammy Moreno clouted a two-RBI double and Maddox Juarez added a run-scoring single to left field, creating the 8-0 lead. Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 17 July 2019 When Wall Street calls, Chicago’s clouted class listens. Lisa Donovan, chicagotribune.com, 12 June 2019 The other highlight was Bryce Mead clouting a grand slam during a six-run first inning. Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2018 See More
Noun
What comes next is a showdown between her force and his financial clout, between labor and the lordly class. Amy Nicholson, Variety, 11 Sep. 2022 The Big Three use their vast economic clout to push a social and political agenda that many Americans don’t support and never voted for. Jed Rubenfeld, WSJ, 6 Sep. 2022 Working right means: Leaders cooperate and jointly use their clout. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2022 After all, if Trump goes all in for these Senate candidates in 2022 and they are rejected in battleground states, his clout within the party will be substantially weakened. Dean Obeidallah, CNN, 21 Aug. 2022 The latter option is bad because Daemon is tyrannical despite his limited clout. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Aug. 2022 For months, the Taliban had tried to bring him back into their fold, wary of his growing clout among some Afghan Shiites eager to rebel against a movement that persecuted them for decades. New York Times, 18 Aug. 2022 This keeps with its growing clout on the world stage. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2022 The San Jose Mercury News' Jon Wilner recently ranked Pac-12 presidents by their clout in the conference and Crow was ranked No. 4 on his list. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2022 Verb
After Trump left his office, his allies, with money to make and clout to keep, turned to Saudi Arabia as a business pipeline. New York Times, 27 July 2022 That’s because, despite your plutonium card status, earned by staying across that group’s thousands of properties, advisors have clout with that particular hotel based on regularly booking clients there. Doug Gollan, Forbes, 7 June 2021 The researchers then clout the strontium with a laser that puts the atoms in a superposition state. Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 13 Apr. 2020 Jaxson Weber-Stewart and Jarrett Tjaden clouted back-to-back doubles for the big hits. Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 15 June 2019 In one of the South Zone tournament games, Atchley used his only two plate appearances to clout a double, sending a ball over the left fielder’s head, and hitting a single, giving him a team-leading three RBIs. Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 31 July 2019 Sammy Moreno clouted a two-RBI double and Maddox Juarez added a run-scoring single to left field, creating the 8-0 lead. Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 17 July 2019 When Wall Street calls, Chicago’s clouted class listens. Lisa Donovan, chicagotribune.com, 12 June 2019 The other highlight was Bryce Mead clouting a grand slam during a six-run first inning. Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English, from Old English clūt; akin to Middle High German klōz lump, Russian gluda
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
clout 1 of 2
noun
ˈklau̇t
1
: a hit especially with the hand
2
: the power to influence or control situations
clout
2 of 2verb
clouted; clouting
: to hit hard
clouts 1 of 2
noun
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
- blows
- slaps
- whacks
- punches
- hits
- thumps
- thuds
- knocks
- swipes
- smacks
- strokes
- pokes
- licks
- spanks
- pounds
- slams
- bangs
- hooks
- beats
- biffs
- socks
- whams
- claps
- thwacks
- swats
- belts
- bats
- clips
- haymakers
- cuffs
- chops
- stripes
- raps
- hands
- pelts
- whaps
- wallops
- kicks
- bops
- switches
- lashes
- bashes
- knees
- hacks
- fillips
- swings
- smashes
- lickings
- slugs
- welts
- douses
- plumps
- stingers
- whops
- dabs
- boxes
- picks
- cracks
- buffets
- busts
- beatings
- batterings
- whips
- larrups
- counterpunches
- counters
- roundhouses
- shivers
- thrashings
- uppercuts
- counterstrokes
- drubbings
- sidewinders
- lefts
- counterblows
- whippings
- counter-strokes
- rights
- counter-blows
- kayos
- knockdowns
- pastings
- bastinadoes
- body blows
- knockouts
- crunchers
- one-twos
- rabbit punches
- sucker punches
- bastinades
- wallopings
- right-handers
- KOs
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
- influences
- sways
- ins
- weights
- leverages
- hefts
- pulls
- authorities
- credits
- scepters
- eminences
- importances
- juices
- dominances
- counter-influences
- reigns
- supremacies
- counterinfluences
- impresses
- impressions
- consequences
- dominions
- impacts
- predominances
- sovereignties
- marks
- imprints
- moments
- commands
- sovranties
- masteries
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- weaknesses
- impotences
- impotencies
clouts
2 of 2verb
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
- slaps
- hits
- smacks
- knocks
- slams
- punches
- whacks
- bangs
- claps
- strikes
- bats
- pounds
- clips
- swipes
- cracks
- hammers
- smites
- nails
- socks
- bludgeons
- kicks
- thumps
- bashes
- jabs
- boxes
- swats
- licks
- wallops
- belts
- thwacks
- biffs
- raps
- pokes
- slugs
- bops
- taps
- bonks
- chops
- clocks
- zaps
- bobs
- tags
- shoves
- flicks
- stabs
- busts
- whales
- pushes
- pastes
- clobbers
- strokes
- mauls
- slogs
- bumps
- bunts
- cuffs
- batters
- mangles
- beats
- laces
- knees
- pelts
- bungs
- pommels
- whips
- prods
- pummels
- butts
- drubs
- roughs
- peppers
- lashes
- sledges
- slashes
- buffets
- spears
- stamps
- cudgels
- jostles
- decks
- flails
- hangs one on
- dumps
- lambasts
- canes
- creams
- clubs
- thrashes
- scuffs
- flogs
- conks
- sledgehammers
- skulls
- levels
- saps
- lambastes
- beans
- switches
- floors
- fells
- brains
- knocks down
- sucker punches
- bowls (down or over)
- rabbit-punches