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
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Recent Examples of clocking
For history, consider that the course – in the 1950s – was the longest in the world, clocking in at 8,040 yards.
—
Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
The chain has fulfilled nearly 65,000 orders since rolling out the enhanced service in early April, with the ten fastest deliveries to date clocking in at less than twelve minutes.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2026
But as China has remained comparatively insulated amid the historic disruption of global oil markets – even clocking robust growth in the first quarter of 2026 – Xi and his planners appear even more assured in their strategy.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
Another budget-minded Chromebook at a serious price drop, the IdeaPad Slim 3i is lightweight and features epic battery life, clocking in at over 15 hours.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
As a prison guard clocking tons of hours who didn’t enjoy cooking, the convenience and quickness of McDonald’s appealed to Gorske.
—Amanda Hancock, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
With that landing, the mission came to a close, clocking more than 700,237 statute miles, said Artemis II entry flight director Rick Henfling.
—Brendan Byrne, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
The mood was one of general optimism; annual domestic box office revenue was still clocking in at north of $11 billion despite the rise of streaming.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Not just two All-Star co-workers clocking in for a shift.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
The chain has fulfilled nearly 65,000 orders since rolling out the enhanced service in early April, with the ten fastest deliveries to date clocking in at less than twelve minutes.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2026
But as China has remained comparatively insulated amid the historic disruption of global oil markets – even clocking robust growth in the first quarter of 2026 – Xi and his planners appear even more assured in their strategy.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
Another budget-minded Chromebook at a serious price drop, the IdeaPad Slim 3i is lightweight and features epic battery life, clocking in at over 15 hours.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
As a prison guard clocking tons of hours who didn’t enjoy cooking, the convenience and quickness of McDonald’s appealed to Gorske.
—Amanda Hancock, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
With that landing, the mission came to a close, clocking more than 700,237 statute miles, said Artemis II entry flight director Rick Henfling.
—Brendan Byrne, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
The mood was one of general optimism; annual domestic box office revenue was still clocking in at north of $11 billion despite the rise of streaming.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Not just two All-Star co-workers clocking in for a shift.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clocking
Verb
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That passion to play every moment to the hilt, along with her powerful hitting stroke, that came with being a coach’s daughter.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
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Horner told a false story about hitting the little girl with his van and then strangling her in a panic, according to testimony of the case’s lead investigator, Texas Ranger Job Espinoza.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The behavior of a suspect in the murders of two University of South Florida students from Bangladesh worsened over time from marijuana use, family members told deputies after his arrest three years ago for punching his brother in the face and kicking his mother in the back.—
Mike Schneider,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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Ryan said Horner later confessed to punching and kicking the child in the head.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Iranians have been knocking around in the United States’ critical infrastructure for years.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Serve it at room temperature so the salad on top won't wilt (and the cooking is complete before the guests come knocking).—
Ashlyn Ware,
Midwest Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The movie's December 2022 release was largely overshadowed by the aftermath of Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage at that year's Academy Awards.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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This is simply slapping lipstick on a pig and, once again, taking no accountability.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Jurors then heard sounds of banging and choking — and Athena screaming and crying, the Star-Telegram reports.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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On the night he was arrested, Martinez confessed to shaking Heather and banging her head against a crib, but later recanted that confession.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar quickly responded on X, slamming his Ukrainian counterpart for conducting diplomacy on social media.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
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Trump’s remarks came hours after the first lady released a statement slamming Kimmel for the comment.—
Sydney Topf,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The flashes were caused by rocky objects smacking into the lunar surface, and the astronauts’ observations of them caused scientists in Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center to erupt in cheers.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
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De Kock smashed eight boundaries and seven sixes and Dhir complemented his South African teammate by smacking three fours and three sixes in the century partnership.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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From tracking down a missing student in the wilderness of British Columbia to extracting a murder confession from a surfer in Tofino, Shade and Angie prove life on the West Coast is packed with heart-pounding thrills.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
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But Ragans shook off the damage and kept pounding the strike zone.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clocking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clocking. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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