# Clemson

/ˈkɫɛmsən/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/clemson
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. university or city

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

A city in South Carolina, USA, and the famous university located there.

For teachers: A city in Pickens and Anderson counties, South Carolina, primarily known as the site of Clemson University.

- She decided to apply to Clemson because of their excellent engineering program.
- The local economy in the region is heavily dependent on the seasonal influx of students attending Clemson.

### 2. to fail unexpectedly

verb · CEFR C1 · American English · Slang · Informal

To lose a game or fail at something when everyone expected you to win.

For teachers: To perform uncharacteristically poorly or lose a competition despite being the heavy favourite.

- The team was winning by twenty points but they started to clemson in the final minutes.
- Fans were terrified the top-seeded team would clemson the opening round against a much weaker opponent.

Usage: Often used in the gerund form 'Clemsoning' to describe a specific type of late-game collapse.

Teaching tip: This term originated in American college football; it is highly informal and should be avoided in professional or academic writing.

## Examples

- Clemson won the national football championship last year.
- Many students from across the Southeast apply to Clemson for its strong engineering programs.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.