death grip
noun
1
: an extremely tight grip caused especially by fear
2
: hold sense 3b
maintained their death grip on overseas markets
Examples of death grip in a Sentence
He drove straight through the storm, never loosening his death grip on the steering wheel.
the cult leader had such a death grip on his followers that all orders were carried out without the slightest objection
Recent Examples on the Web
Next, scientists will need to examine Cretaceous leaves for evidence of death grips to see if the prehistoric fungi had evolved to manipulate insects’ behavior during this time, says Jarzembowski in the statement.
—
Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
Alma clutched her arm and didn’t let go—a death grip.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
The snow and the low temperatures put Florida’s citrus and vegetable industry in a death grip.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025
The baby boomer death grip continues.
—ABC News, 29 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for death grip
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.
Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
Alma clutched her arm and didn’t let go—a death grip.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
The snow and the low temperatures put Florida’s citrus and vegetable industry in a death grip.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025
The baby boomer death grip continues.
—ABC News, 29 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for death grip
Cite this Entry
“Death grip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20grip. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share