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.
With his jaw clenched and sights set on being the next James Bond, Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Major Will Tranter, a bomb disposal pro who’s both an ace sniper and a bit of a loose cannon, breaking protocol in his obsessive attempt to deactivate the vintage ordnance with minimal casualties. Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025 With every stride, the leader breathes into the whistle clenched between his lips, producing a noise like the courting sigh of some prairie bird. Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025 As Solène leaves, Rainbeau clenches her fists, talking herself out of hitting Solène and remembering the way disputes got resolved in her family. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025 The result was a tension-release rally in a market that wasn’t all that clenched-up to begin with. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 12 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!