clean someone's clock

• get one's clock cleaned, fix someone's clock

Originally military slang; perhaps from clock face.

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clean someone's clock (third-person singular simple present cleans someone's clock, present participle cleaning someone's clock, simple past and past participle cleaned someone's clock)

1. (idiomatic) To defeat someone decisively, in a physical fight or other competition or negotiation.
   • 1997, Richard W. Stevenson, "Executives Say Trade Bill Defeat Will Hurt Economy," New York Times, 12 Nov. (retrieved 7 Oct. 2008),

     "When big business goes head to head with unions, the unions clean their clock," said one Republican aide in Congress.

   • 2007, Carla Marinucci "Hillary on a roll," San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Apr. (retrieved 7 Oct. 2008),

     Barack Obama cleaned her clock in the debates.

   • 2008, Jake Donovan, "Vicente Escobedo Rallies, Stops Dominic Salcido In Six," BoxingScene.com, 27 Sep. (retrieved 7 Oct. 2008),

     The heavily-tattooed Perez never recovered, getting nailed with flush head shots before a clean-up left hook cleaned his clock.

• mop the floor with somebody
• trounce

• Jonathon Green (2023), “get one's clock cleaned v).”, in Green's Dictionary of Slang