clunk

American  

[kluhngk] / klʌŋk /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to hit hard, especially on the head.

2. clonk.

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noun

1. a hard hit, especially on the head.

2. Informal. a stupid person; clunkhead.

3. clonk.

4. Informal. clunker

clunk British  

/ klʌŋk /

noun

1. a blow or the sound of a blow

2. a dull metallic sound

3. a dull or stupid person

4. 1. the gurgling sound of a liquid

   2. the sound of a cork being removed from a bottle

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verb

1. to make or cause to make such a sound

Etymology

Origin of clunk

1790–1800; imitative; clink ¹, clank

Example Sentences

The road was too narrow to swerve, and we heard a nasty clunk.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

A loud clunk and the crowd roared as the ball sailed above the field and over the fence for a walk-off home run to seal the championship win.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 20, 2024

At times, I found myself fantasizing about nothing else in the world but the satisfying clunk of a torrent of ice from a self-serve soda fountain.

From Salon • Sep. 2, 2023

The one real clunk in the works is the framing device.

From New York Times • May 31, 2022

Harry dropped his tankard with a loud clunk.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling