clipped; clipping
1
2
a
: to hold in a tight grip : clutch
b
: to clasp, fasten, or secure with a clip
1
: any of various devices that grip, clasp, or hook
2
: a device to hold cartridges for charging the magazines of some rifles
also
: a magazine from which ammunition is fed into the chamber of a firearm
3
: something (such as a piece of jewelry) that is worn as an ornament or fastener and that is held in position by a clip
clipped; clipping
1
a
: to cut or cut off with or as if with shears
clip a dog's hair
clip an hour off traveling time
b
: to cut off the distal or outer part of
c(1)
(2)
: to cut items out of (a publication, such as a newspaper)
3
4
: to illegally block (an opposing player) in football
5
: to take money from unfairly or dishonestly especially by overcharging
the nightclub clipped the tourist for $200
1
: to clip something
2
: to travel or pass rapidly
3
: to clip an opposing player in football
1
a
b
: a 2-bladed instrument for cutting especially the nails
2
3
: an act of clipping
4
: a sharp blow
5
: rate sense 1a
continues at a brisk clip
6
: a single instance or occasion : time
he charged $10 a clip
—often used in the phrase at a cliptrained 1000 workers at a clip
Synonyms
Verb (2)
Noun (2)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of clip in a Sentence
Verb (2)
a mother who's sad to see her little boy's curls clipped for the first time
the pitch clipped the batter's helmet with enough force to knock it clean off his head
Noun (2)
an unexpectedly low branch dealt him a clip to the head
Recent Examples on the Web
PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
Stepping into this shop is a visceral experience — the smell of shoe polish, the blues playing in the background, the walls covered in fading clips from decades-old issues of the Rocky Mountain News.
—Beth Rankin, The Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2024
Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
During a July rally in Butler, Pa., a rooftop gunman clipped Trump in the right ear and killed an attendee.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clip 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Unfortunately, instead of making the clip that attaches to your clothing a peg or similarly sprung clip, King Smith has opted for one reminiscent of a plastic paperclip.
—PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
Stepping into this shop is a visceral experience — the smell of shoe polish, the blues playing in the background, the walls covered in fading clips from decades-old issues of the Rocky Mountain News.
—Beth Rankin, The Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
Wear rubber gloves and clip a mangled licking branch (which holds the forehead and saliva scent of several bucks and does) from atop an active scrape and wire it over a mock scrape near your stand.
—Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
During a July rally in Butler, Pa., a rooftop gunman clipped Trump in the right ear and killed an attendee.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clip
Articles Related to clip
Dictionary Entries Near clip
Cite this Entry
“Clip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clip. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clip
2 of 4 noun1
: a device that grips, clasps, or hooks
2
: a device for loading cartridges into a firearm
also
: magazine sense 4a
3
: a piece of jewelry held by a clip
clip
3 of 4 verb
clipped; clipping
1
: to cut or cut off with or as if with shears
clip a hedge
clip out a news item
2
: to cut off or trim the hair or wool of
have the dog clipped
clip
4 of 4 noun1
: a two-bladed instrument for cutting especially the nails
2
: a section of filmed, videotaped, or recorded material
3
: an act of clipping
4
: a sharp blow
5
: a rapid pace
move along at a good clip
Etymology
Verb
Old English clyppan "to clasp"
Verb
Middle English clippen "to cut," of Norse origin
Medical Definition
clip
noun
: a device used to arrest bleeding from vessels or tissues during operations
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