1
: a device designed to bind or constrict or to press two or more parts together so as to hold them firmly
2
: any of various instruments or appliances having parts brought together for holding or compressing something
clamped; clamping; clamps
1
: to fasten with or as if with a clamp
clamp two boards together
2
a
: to place by decree : impose
—often used with on
clamped on a curfew after the riots
b
: to hold tightly
Examples of clamp in a Sentence
Verb
The surgeon clamped the vein.
He clamped the two pieces of wood together.
The bit was clamped firmly between the horse's teeth.
He clamped his mouth shut and refused to speak.
Recent Examples on the Web
Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 May 2025
The first launch attempt on Wednesday, though, was delayed by two days by another SpaceX issue when the clamp holding the Falcon 9 wouldn’t let go.
—Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2025
PC Magazine, 4 June 2025
Animal Farm, published in 1945 as the Soviet Union was clamping its pincers on Eastern Europe, and 1948 – published at a time when Stalin had drawn the Iron Curtain between East and West – illustrate the moral depravity of the powerful who exert dominance over the powerless.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clamp
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Noun
Allow the door to cool completely, then remove the clamps and reinstall the cabinet door.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 May 2025
The first launch attempt on Wednesday, though, was delayed by two days by another SpaceX issue when the clamp holding the Falcon 9 wouldn’t let go.
—Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
The two enclosures connect to one another with standard speaker wire and basic clamping terminals.
—PC Magazine, 4 June 2025
Animal Farm, published in 1945 as the Soviet Union was clamping its pincers on Eastern Europe, and 1948 – published at a time when Stalin had drawn the Iron Curtain between East and West – illustrate the moral depravity of the powerful who exert dominance over the powerless.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clamp
Cite this Entry
“Clamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clamp. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clamp
1 of 2 noun
: a device that holds or presses parts together firmly
clamp
2 of 2 verb
: to fasten or tighten with or as if with a clamp
Medical Definition
clamp
1 of 2 noun
: any of various instruments or appliances having parts brought together for holding or compressing something
especially
: an instrument used to hold, compress, or crush vessels and hollow organs and to aid in surgical excision of parts
an arterial clamp
clamp
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to fasten with or as if with a clamp
the descending thoracic aorta was clamped—W. A. Banks et al.
W. A. Banks et al.Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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