death grip

death grip

noun

Definition of DEATH GRIP

1

: an extremely tight grip caused especially by fear

2

: hold 3b <maintained their death grip on overseas markets>

Examples of DEATH GRIP

1. He drove straight through the storm, never loosening his death grip on the steering wheel.
2. <the cult leader had such a death grip on his followers that all orders were carried out without the slightest objection>

First Known Use of DEATH GRIP

1829

Related to DEATH GRIP

Synonyms: arm, authority, clutch, command, control, power, dominion, grip, hold, mastery, reign, rein(s), sway

Antonyms: impotence, impotency, powerlessness

Related Words: clout, influence, leverage, pull, voice, weight; jurisdiction; direction, management; dominance, imperium, predominance, sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacy; prerogative, privilege, right; eminence, importance, moment

Near Antonyms: helplessness, weakness

[+]more[-]hide

Rhymes with DEATH GRIP

airship, airstrip, atrip, backflip, blue-chip, call slip, catnip, chiefship, cleft lip, clerkship, corn chip, courtship, cowslip, deanship, drag strip, dress ship, ear clip, equip, felt-tip, fieldstrip, field trip, filmstrip, fireship, flagship, foul tip, friendship, frostnip, guildship, guilt-trip, gunship, half-slip, handgrip, hardship, harelip, headship, horsewhip, inclip, judgeship, jump ship, kingship, kinship, landslip, let rip, lightship, longship, lordship, Mendip, nonslip, outstrip, oxlip, palship, pink slip, pip-pip, princeship, Q-ship, queenship, roach clip, road trip, rose hip, round-trip, saintship, sales slip, sea whip, sideslip, spaceship, starship, steamship, storeship, strike-slip, take ship, tall ship, thaneship, township, transship, troopship, unship, unzip, V-chip, wardship, warship, white chip, wing tip