clutch 1 of 3

Definition of clutchnext

clutch

2 of 3

noun (2)

clutch

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word clutch different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of clutch are grab, grasp, seize, snatch, and take. While all these words mean "to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand," clutch suggests avidity or anxiety in seizing or grasping and may imply less success in holding.

clutching her purse

How do grab and snatch relate to one another, in the sense of clutch?

Grab implies more roughness or rudeness than snatch.

grabbed roughly by the arm

When can grasp be used instead of clutch?

The words grasp and clutch are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, grasp stresses a laying hold so as to have firmly in possession.

grasp the handle and pull

In what contexts can seize take the place of clutch?

While in some cases nearly identical to clutch, seize implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible or an apprehending of something fleeting or elusive when intangible.

seized the suspect

How are the words snatch and seize related as synonyms of clutch?

Snatch suggests more suddenness or quickness but less force than seize.

snatched a doughnut and ran

Where would take be a reasonable alternative to clutch?

The words take and clutch can be used in similar contexts, but take is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control.

take some salad from the bowl

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clutch
Noun
Every time the fiancée of Karl-Anthony Towns, the New York franchise’s center, appeared with her bright orange clutch in tow, the team secured a victory. Blanche Marcel, Vanity Fair, 26 June 2026 Fensace Floral Short-Sleeve Wrap Mini Dress Wear this wrap dress over a swimsuit at the beach or with heels and a clutch for an evening out — the styling possibilities are endless. Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Verb
In his weirdest picture—the late, baroque, campy Allegory of Faith—a bug-eyed female figure is shown clutching her chest, one foot balanced perilously on a globe, while a snake gushing blood from its jaws gyrates in the foreground. Clare Bucknell, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 The video shows the motionless suspect in a gray hoodie lying facedown on a chair or sofa while still clutching the knife. Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for clutch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutch
Noun
  • Potential profits have encouraged traffickers to ship massive amounts of illicit drugs to both countries, often across the Pacific Ocean from South America via the Pacific Islands, a loose cluster of thousands of islands and atolls.
    Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
  • NielsenIQ data shows that Hispanic consumers tend to be driven by brand trust, family influence and cultural identity—in ways that never surface in behavioral clusters.
    Hernan Tagliani, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Noun
  • The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District announced Wednesday that a batch of mosquitoes collected Thursday, June 18, from a trap in Glenview tested positive for West Nile in the district's lab five days later.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 24 June 2026
  • Today, now working with master distiller Hervé Grangeon, Vodkress remains a small-batch, craft spirit (only 7,000 liters are produced each year), available at select venues, such as the Surf Club in Miami and chef Bruno Verjus’s Parisian eatery, Table.
    Ian Phillips, Architectural Digest, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • That helped resolve Europe’s emerging jet fuel crisis and Australia’s diesel shortage.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
  • The revelation about the IRS seizure comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over taxpayer funds used to fight the homelessness crisis.
    Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • How to prepare before strong winds approach Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2026
  • He was raised in Tiberias and Eilat, outside Israel’s traditional centers of power and influence.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • The body politic wages war against itself in Shakespeare’s tragedy, and the all-out battle makes for a gripping spectacle in Griffith Park.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Button Gwinnett didn’t want to be in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress in the summer of 1776, and not just because a heat wave gripped the city and delegates dressed in wool and powdered wigs.
    Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 30 June 2026
Noun
  • According to reports for the recycLA program, a commercial and multifamily waste collection franchise program, only about half of households and business are separating their compostable waste.
    Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026
  • Those recommendations include developing stronger performance measures, improving data collection, tracking client outcomes more consistently and identifying which shelter programs are delivering the most effective results.
    Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 23 June 2026
  • When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
Noun
  • The Scorpio moon fills your head with future plans for creative expansion.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 24 June 2026
  • Wilson joins a Bulls team that has signaled a full rebuild this summer, installing a new head coach and front office before the draft.
    Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 24 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Clutch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutch. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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