Clean one's clock American informal verb phrase
To decisively beat someone up
Shut your mouth up or I'll clean your clock .
James' opponent was so strong that he cleaned James' clock.
The verb "clean" should be conjugated according to its tense.
The phrase dates from the mid-1900s. This term originated in the military. The use of "clock" is unclear but possibly alludes to hitting someone in the face (for “clockface”).
Indicates that something which initially seems bad but harmless can become much worse in the future or lead to a harmful development
Those pharmacies have put the price of face masks up. It'll be the thin end of the wedge, if others follow along.