1
as in hugged
to put one's arms around and press tightly
clasped his long-lost sister and cried without restraint
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in held
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
clasped a crayon and began drawing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of clasped
At the end, before Fallon reappeared, all pep and cheer, Forge clasped his hands together and closed his eyes, as if locked in prayer.
—
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
There were only two worshippers, one in the water, hands clasped in prayer, and the other seated on the bottommost step, looking intently toward the river or maybe at the other bather.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Women clasped hands in ring dances.
—John Leland, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2024
Others clasped their hands in prayer.
—Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024
When the town hall ended, Harris went over and clasped hands with Castillo, whose face was still streaked with tears.
—Will Weissert, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2024
At the end of the roughly 30-minute hearing, as the courtroom was cleared of most spectators and press, Combs stood and gave several bows, with his hands clasped, toward family members, who were allowed to stay inside the courtroom.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2024
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
There were only two worshippers, one in the water, hands clasped in prayer, and the other seated on the bottommost step, looking intently toward the river or maybe at the other bather.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
Women clasped hands in ring dances.
—John Leland, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2024
Others clasped their hands in prayer.
—Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024
When the town hall ended, Harris went over and clasped hands with Castillo, whose face was still streaked with tears.
—Will Weissert, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2024
At the end of the roughly 30-minute hearing, as the courtroom was cleared of most spectators and press, Combs stood and gave several bows, with his hands clasped, toward family members, who were allowed to stay inside the courtroom.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clasped
Verb
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During the ovation, Benny Safdie — the film’s director — hugged both his stars and joined Johnson in shedding tears of joy as the clapping continued.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
1 Sep. 2025
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In July, they were spotted on a date night in Lake Como, Italy, with Amal sporting a sparkly one-shoulder dress that hugged her figure with matching strappy heels, while the actor wore a dapper navy blue suit jacket and matching trousers.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The robot must determine where the object can be safely grasped, whether surfaces will slip or break under pressure, and how weight is distributed.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
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Supporters remember the painful defeats grasped from the jaws of victory more than easy wins.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Even when Pegula rediscovered her ability to smother Sabalenka with deep returns to her backhand, the Belarusian clung onto her serve.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Chaos erupted at Miami International Airport early Tuesday when a woman from England allegedly snatched a 4-year-old boy from his mother at a checkpoint, clung to him, and refused to let go—while insisting the child was hers, according to deputies.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The discovery marks the first potential breakthrough in a nationwide search that has gripped the public since the start of the summer.—
Emma Marsden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
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The two-day sweep of campgrounds near Leavenworth, Washington, which involved more than 100 FBI Seattle agents alongside local law enforcement, concluded Tuesday and yielded the first major development in a nationwide hunt that has gripped the public since early summer, Fox 13 Seattle reported.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Coming in second overall was The Traitors, the reality competition series on Peacock, which took home four awards, including Alan Cumming for Best Reality Host.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Two key points in the case were that board members who personally opposed the books took the action against the input of an advisory committee, and that the board members' action was based on speculative, not actual, fears of disruption.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasped. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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