as in hitting
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
sick of being insulted, he swung around and clocked his tormentor hard enough to knock him off his bar stool
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clocking
The epic drama, following a Hungarian village facing the fallout of communism, is best known for its length, clocking in at seven-and-a-half hours.
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Alina Edwards, NPR, 6 Jan. 2026
On Monday stateside, all three key benchmarks rose, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average clocking a new all-time high in the session.
—Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2026
This 12 pack of electric torches is only $32, clocking in at under $3 each.
—Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2026
There’s a clear pocket of viewers clocking the film as a deliberate tonal pivot, closer to Tropic Thunder, Jumanji, or Be Kind Rewind than creature-feature horror.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 Dec. 2025
But the quality of their work still suffers, clocking in at about a 50 percent success rate on the hardest tasks.
—Dina Genkina, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Dec. 2025
In one of his last sketches, Bowen Yang plays a Delta Sky Club employee who is clocking into his last shift.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
In Episode 3, Swift is shown trying on an early version of the new design, immediately clocking issues with the fit.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
Fortunately for hikers who are looking for a short trek, the climb to the top of the peak won’t take long, clocking in at 200 yards on a dirt trail.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clocking
Verb
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The 49ers went three and out on their next two possessions and were unsuccessful on throws outside the numbers after hitting the middle of the field with three completions on the scoring drive.—
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After hitting just 4 of 30 threes against the Pacers, Miami opened 4 for 4 from distance, shot 8 for 16 on threes in the first half and finished 17 for 32.—
Verb
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The University of Miami defeated Ole Miss, 31-27, in a Fiesta Bowl semifinal thriller, punching its ticket to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.—
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That footage showed Jones elbowing, stomping and punching the boy, and prompted the police investigation.—
Verb
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The right words can open doors the heart’s been knocking on for a while.—
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Once the buzz starts, fringe brands come knocking.—
Verb
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Mimicking what happened seven years earlier after the Dallas playoff win in Charlotte, the players ran back outside and took a lap around the stadium, slapping hands with delirious home fans.—
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That means not just the sound of rubber slapping the pavement or the whir of electric motors—the soundtrack of a Formula E race—but something new and artificial or, more generously, bespoke.—
Verb
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One woman carried a flag for Palestine, while a man banging a cowbell hung a flag of communist Cuba on his backpack.—
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Gamers have turned to walkthroughs and hints for years, but usually after banging their own heads against difficult challenges, and hence learning something in the process.—
Verb
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Bystander video footage that has since gone viral captured a masked federal agent fire multiple shots into Good's vehicle, which then drove up the street before slamming into the back of another car.—
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Convenience store owners are slamming the proposal as restrictive and unnecessary.—
Verb
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And the good vibes of those wins quickly dissolved with Toronto smacking them around in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss.—
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Malika was now smacking the rug in rhythm.—
Verb
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Russia has been pounding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with drones and missiles in recent weeks, a tactic used in previous winters.—
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But those massive events aren’t the only way for fans to experience the heart-pounding thrills and sense of community that only live sports can deliver.—
Cite this Entry
“Clocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clocking. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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