as in grip
the act or manner of holding
be careful that your clasp on the cat isn't too tight, or she could get hurt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to hug
to put one's arms around and press tightly
clasped his long-lost sister and cried without restraint
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to hold
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
clasped a crayon and began drawing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of clasp
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 21 Feb. 2026
The cheeky design featured a daring side cut-out, thanks to a metal clasp with a tie that kept the bikini bottoms in place.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 15 Feb. 2026
Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Olympic nails have been seen clasping medals on more than one occasion.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clasp
Noun
The pins come in all shapes and sizes, usually made of enamel and secured on a lanyard, vest, scarf or beanie with a butterfly clasp in the back.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 21 Feb. 2026
The cheeky design featured a daring side cut-out, thanks to a metal clasp with a tie that kept the bikini bottoms in place.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
As the final seconds ticked down, Bishop’s senior Lotte Lightner clasped the hand of a teammate on the bench and then bounced up to cheer.
—Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Olympic nails have been seen clasping medals on more than one occasion.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clasp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clasp
Noun
-
Not only did the group remain intact but their survival may have bolstered their image in Yemen and their grip on the country.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
-
This means that the hand never falsely identified a slip, and adjusted its grip only when necessary, avoiding excessive force that could damage objects.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The ballpoint tip aims to hug the natural curvature of your lip for bleed-proof precision.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The Lake County portion hugs the shoreline south to Lake Cook Road and continues west to the eastern part of Buffalo Grove.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Balat and Kayumi were being held without bail after their court appearance on charges that include attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The lawsuit also claims that the federal government had not conducted an environmental review of the project or held a meeting for public comment.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Undefeated UConn still has its grasp on that, though a loss in the Big East title game would open the door for the Bruins, but UCLA will be on the top line heading to Sacramento for the regional round.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
In this case and elsewhere, Rakoff has shown a superb grasp of technology issues.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cushion Valuables When Moving There's nothing better to cradle your breakable goods when moving or packing items for storage than a pillow.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
16 Jan. 2026
-
All Fox could do was cradle Truman’s hand, stare straight ahead, summon a proud mournful dignity, and try to pretend that the people all around them did not exist.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Advice columnist Carolyn Hax takes your comments and questions most Fridays about life, family, relationships and more.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
If possible, take some time to journal or meditate (napping would also be valid).—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clasp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasp. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
