Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

clean someone's clock

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.02 in modern English

Syllables: clean -some-one's -clock
IPA

30

Scrabble Score

18

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To defeat someone decisively, in a physical fight or other competition or negotiation.

Informal

Example Sentences

""When big business goes head to head with unions, the unions clean their clock," said one Republican aide in Congress."
"Barack Obama cleaned her clock in the debates."
"The heavily-tattooed Perez never recovered, getting nailed with flush head shots before a clean-up left hook cleaned his clock."

Etymology

From clean (“to thrash, defeat”) and clock (“face”) as metonym for “guy”, “someone”.

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

cleans someone's clock (present, singular) cleaning someone's clock (participle, present) cleaned someone's clock (participle, past) cleaned someone's clock (past)

Phrases

get one's clock cleaned

Synonyms

fix someone's clock trounce wipe the floor with someone

Questions

What does clean someone's clock mean?: To defeat someone decisively, in a physical fight or other competition or negotiation.
Where does clean someone's clock come from?: From clean (“to thrash, defeat”) and clock (“face”) as metonym for “guy”, “someone”.

How to pronounce clean someone's clock

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “clean someone's clock”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “clean someone's clock”.
Repeat and practice — Say “clean someone's clock” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.