clench

verb

clenched; clenching; clenches

transitive verb

1
2
: to hold fast : clutch
clenched the arms of the chair
3
: to set or close tightly
clench one's teeth
clench one's fists
clench noun

Examples of clench in a Sentence

He clenched his teeth and continued to look straight ahead. He clenched his fists in anger. She was angry and spoke quietly through clenched teeth. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he listened to the speech. She danced alone, with a rose clenched in her teeth. He was clenching a cigarette in his teeth.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The Najaf player stretched out his arms, fists still clenched, and lifted his head to look into the captain’s eyes. Jason Anthony, The Atlantic, 14 June 2025 Its stern warnings are scary and uncomfortable--the headaches, indigestion, muscle spasms, body aches, clenched teeth or knots in your chest. Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025 Certain SSRIs, SNRIs and tricyclic antidepressants have been linked with grinding and clenching the teeth, Schultz says. Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 1 June 2025 No discomfort arises from keeping the mouth clenched on a snorkel mouthpiece, and often, this type of mask will not fog as readily. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for clench

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English -clencan; akin to Old English clingan to cling

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clench was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clench. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

clench

verb
1
: to hold fast : clutch
2
: to set or close tightly
clench one's teeth
clench one's fist

More from Merriam-Webster on clench

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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