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”).
To decide that something is completely finished so that you can start doing something else
Finally we drew a line under the research before the deadline.