clamp

verb

clamped; clamping; clamps

transitive verb

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

Synonyms of clamp

• fasten
• secure
• hitch
• anchor

Examples of clamp in a Sentence

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

However, instead of the pilot starting the engines during pushback and the tug disconnecting afterward, TaxiBot remains attached to the nose gear via a specialized pivoting clamping platform. —David Szondy june 07, New Atlas, 7 June 2026

Crocodiles clamp onto a limb or section of flesh and rotate violently until tissue separates. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Here, the oyster clamped swiftly shut, pinching Yara’s finger. —Literary Hub, 19 May 2026

The ball comes in two halves that clamp around the wire and bolt together tightly. —Rui Bo, The Conversation, 18 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing clamp

• C-clamp
• clamp down
• clamp down on
• clamp on
• wheel clamp

Rhymes for clamp

• amp
• champ
• cramp
• damp
• gamp
• lamp
• ramp
• samp
• scamp
• stamp
• tamp
• tramp

Kids Definition

clamp

1 of 2 noun

ˈklamp 

: 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

ˈklamp 

: 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.