How to Use clout in a Sentence

clout

1 of 2 noun
  • She used her political clout to have another school built.
  • Going on the show would be for clout.
    — Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2019
  • This dispute isn’t just about clout.
    — Jared Brenner, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Brands are eager for the clout, and who couldn’t use a check?
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Both have strengths, knowledge and clout to bring more to the space.
    — Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • But its greater clout on the world stage need not always ring alarm bells.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2023
  • Giles was seen as having gained clout and turf amid the shakeups.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 Mar. 2023
  • People with clout will listen to you.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 26 May 2026
  • Netflix has the clout and the cash to do this kind of thing more often.
    — Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2024
  • Still, investor clout cannot be ignored.
    — Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
  • That comment would get a ton of clout on Gawker.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 16 Jan. 2026
  • Her multi-club network carries a lot of clout, as does her wealth.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 28 May 2026
  • Ethics can be cast aside for clout or virality.
    — Angelica Kalika, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
  • The playground squabbles should be sorted out with a good clout round to the head.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
  • There’s always someone looking to spoil it and get some clout.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
  • The player is, though, and the new manager has clout.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 12 June 2026
  • Chelsea aren’t kings of the jungle but their wealth and profile give them the clout to poach from most clubs.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • In the seventh episode, the killer is the father of the bride, a man who projects country club clout.
    — Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024
  • More than the cash, Rahal’s bet on Pierson gave her clout.
    — Monica Hunter-Hart, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • New York is a place where clout will triumph over love almost every time.
    — Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 21 Mar. 2024
  • Their size and clout have led Israeli leaders to cater to their demands.
    — Heidi Levine, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2023
  • The clout of both right and left-wing channels has also been shown in recent movements.
    — Yoonjung Seo, CNN, 5 May 2023
  • If that weren’t bad enough, the clout deepfake has been upped to another level.
    — Michaelangelo Matos, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2026
  • But Russia retained its clout in one crucial area.
    — Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Contestants who lean too hard into clout often flame out.
    — Amanda Marcovitch, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Villains and clout-chasers spike in relevance but fade quickly.
    — Amanda Marcovitch, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The name comes from the idea of putting someone 'on a throne' to boost your own clout/social capital.
    — Charles Trepany, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
  • And lastly, the road map leverages Ineos’s clout.
    — Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2025
  • The online mob will not reward you with clout for complaining about your own standards.
    — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2023
  • Others said Cameron would bring clout and experience to the role.
    — Karla Adam, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2023

clout

2 of 2 verb
  • He'll clout me around the head if he finds out what I've done.
  • He clouted 19 home runs last year.
  • The researchers then clout the strontium with a laser that puts the atoms in a superposition state.
    — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 13 Apr. 2020
  • The other highlight was Bryce Mead clouting a grand slam during a six-run first inning.
    — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2018
  • Jaxson Weber-Stewart and Jarrett Tjaden clouted back-to-back doubles for the big hits.
    — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 15 June 2019
  • 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
  • Jordan Phillips, who set the table for his clean-up hitter by clouting a double in the first and a single in the third, scored on both of Martin’s doubles.
    — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 5 May 2018
  • Your competition at this point in the Netflix dating show’s run will include 10 seasons’ worth of cheaters and liars, clout chasers and schmoozers and players.
    — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The 'merch hauls' on social media are awful, the desperate pathetic influencers trying to clout chase using the Masters are all awful.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Holder clouted Chameera for three sixes in four deliveries to end the 19th and leave West Indies needing six runs for victory.
    — ABC News, 15 June 2026
  • 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
  • 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
  • But they are outnumbered by propagandists, trolls, anxious commentators, war-market gamblers, and clout chasers who, apparently, became experts on the Strait of Hormuz overnight.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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