the clock
noun
1
: a clock that is used in sports and that shows how much time remains for a particular part of a game
They were winning by 2 points with 10 seconds (left) on the clock.
They stopped the (game) clock with eight seconds remaining.
2
: a special clock that is used to record the times when an employee starts and stops working : time clock
I punched the clock at 8:45 and started working right away.
3
chiefly British
: a device that shows how far a vehicle has traveled
a car with 100,000 miles on the clock
Examples of the clock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For the second category, turn back the clock to your Vans and Converse-wearing days.
—
Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 22 June 2024
Instead, Saving Time, narrated by theater actor Kristen Sieh, is a hopeful meditation on learning to live life to the fullest without being totally beholden to the clock.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 21 June 2024
Generally, to bill as an emergency department, facilities must meet specific requirements, such as maintaining certain staff, not refusing patients and remaining open around the clock.
—Emily Siner, NPR, 20 June 2024
Many recent headlines have lamented the disturbing 2024 reality of young children trying to stop the clock with their beauty purchases.
—Dianna Mazzone Singh, Allure, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the clock 
Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 22 June 2024
Instead, Saving Time, narrated by theater actor Kristen Sieh, is a hopeful meditation on learning to live life to the fullest without being totally beholden to the clock.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 21 June 2024
Generally, to bill as an emergency department, facilities must meet specific requirements, such as maintaining certain staff, not refusing patients and remaining open around the clock.
—Emily Siner, NPR, 20 June 2024
Many recent headlines have lamented the disturbing 2024 reality of young children trying to stop the clock with their beauty purchases.
—Dianna Mazzone Singh, Allure, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the clock
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the clock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the clock
Cite this Entry
“The clock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20clock. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share