: 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
Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 21 May 2025
The Senate has changed the rules of filibustering several times over the decades, like reducing the number of votes required for cloture in 1975 and allowing a simple majority to end debate on nominations in the 2010s.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
In 1975 the Senate reduced the number of votes required for cloture from two-thirds of senators voting to three-fifths of all senators duly chosen and sworn, or 60 of the 100-member Senate.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Nine Democrats and one independent, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., voted in favor of cloture.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cloture
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
With 15 Democrats voting for the bill to pass the cloture threshold this week, the proponents have the votes necessary to avoid a filibuster.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 21 May 2025
The Senate has changed the rules of filibustering several times over the decades, like reducing the number of votes required for cloture in 1975 and allowing a simple majority to end debate on nominations in the 2010s.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
In 1975 the Senate reduced the number of votes required for cloture from two-thirds of senators voting to three-fifths of all senators duly chosen and sworn, or 60 of the 100-member Senate.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Nine Democrats and one independent, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., voted in favor of cloture.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cloture
Cite this Entry
“Cloture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloture. Accessed 8 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share