: 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Claudia Grisales, NPR, 13 Mar. 2025
Prospective Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will also get a cloture vote Wednesday afternoon.
—Nick Sobczyk, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which easily passed the House last week, is scheduled for a floor debate Wednesday, after a vote to invoke cloture planned for late Monday.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 16 Dec. 2024
The passage of the cloture motion means there will be 30 hours of debate on the Senate floor, setting up Gabbard’s final confirmation vote on Wednesday when the debate time expires.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Feb. 2025
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Noun
Because of that, Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to invoke cloture on the House CR.
—Claudia Grisales, NPR, 13 Mar. 2025
Prospective Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will also get a cloture vote Wednesday afternoon.
—Nick Sobczyk, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which easily passed the House last week, is scheduled for a floor debate Wednesday, after a vote to invoke cloture planned for late Monday.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 16 Dec. 2024
The passage of the cloture motion means there will be 30 hours of debate on the Senate floor, setting up Gabbard’s final confirmation vote on Wednesday when the debate time expires.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Feb. 2025
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 17 Mar. 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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