: the closing or limitation of debate in a legislative body especially by calling for a vote
clotured; cloturing; clotures
: to close (debate) in a legislative body by cloture
Debate over the bill was short Tuesday evening. After an initial debate Tuesday afternoon, Senate Republicans clotured debate when the bill returned later in the day.—
Brian Lyman
Brian LymanExamples of cloture in a Sentence
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Lorie Konish, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
Back then, Democrats held a majority in the Senate but had far fewer than the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by invoking cloture, which then allows the Senate to move to an up-or-down vote on a nominee.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 19 Dec. 2024
Senators voted 73-27 in favor of a cloture motion to speed up a vote on the bill repealing rules that reduce Social Security benefits for those receiving other benefits, as well as those who were getting less because their employer didn't withhold Social Security taxes.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture Monday on the nominations of McFerran, a Democrat, to remain for another five-year term on the National Labor Relations Board.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2024
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Noun
The Senate cloture vote to proceed to a final vote also limited the ability for that chamber to debate the proposal.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
Back then, Democrats held a majority in the Senate but had far fewer than the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by invoking cloture, which then allows the Senate to move to an up-or-down vote on a nominee.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 19 Dec. 2024
Senators voted 73-27 in favor of a cloture motion to speed up a vote on the bill repealing rules that reduce Social Security benefits for those receiving other benefits, as well as those who were getting less because their employer didn't withhold Social Security taxes.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture Monday on the nominations of McFerran, a Democrat, to remain for another five-year term on the National Labor Relations Board.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cloture
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Cite this Entry
“Cloture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloture. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
cloture
noun
clo·ture
ˈklō-chər 
: the closing or limitation of debate in a legislative body especially by calling for a vote
cloture
transitive verb
Etymology
Noun
French clôture, literally, closure
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