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Synonyms

clockwise

American  
[klok-wahyz] / ˈklɒkˌwaɪz /

adverb

  1. in the direction of the rotation of the hands of a clock as viewed from the front or above; circularly to the right from a point taken as the top.

adjective

  1. directed clockwise.

    a clockwise movement.
clockwise British  
/ ˈklɒkˌwaɪz /

adverb

  1. in the direction that the hands of a clock rotate; from top to bottom towards the right when seen from the front

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of clockwise

First recorded in 1885–90; clock 1 + -wise

Compare meaning

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Vocabulary lists containing clockwise

Middle School Geometry, List 1

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Geometry - Middle School

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Geometry (Base List)

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Light can rotate clockwise, known as right-circular polarization, or counter-clockwise, known as left-circular polarization.

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

If you do have a burst pipe, you can turn the stop tap clockwise to stop the water.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026

The typical group rotation pattern occurs in a clockwise fashion.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 24, 2025

On Day 1, you play it clockwise; on Day 2, counterclockwise.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 26, 2025

The song begins with the children holding hands and moving clockwise.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.