: 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
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Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Under current Senate rules, a 60-vote supermajority is needed to invoke cloture and end debate.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
But because of the 60-vote cloture threshold in the Senate, Republicans still need buy-in from Democrats to advance major must-pass legislation like government funding and the annual defense authorization bill.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 18 Sep. 2025
The nomination was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and a cloture motion was presented in the Senate on July 29.
—Ally Goelz, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2025
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Noun
To end a filibuster, the Senate must invoke cloture—a formal motion requiring 60 votes to proceed.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Under current Senate rules, a 60-vote supermajority is needed to invoke cloture and end debate.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025
But because of the 60-vote cloture threshold in the Senate, Republicans still need buy-in from Democrats to advance major must-pass legislation like government funding and the annual defense authorization bill.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 18 Sep. 2025
The nomination was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and a cloture motion was presented in the Senate on July 29.
—Ally Goelz, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 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 31 Oct. 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
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