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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clasped
Hannah McGuire stepped up to a microphone outside City Hall with hands clasped together in front of her and took a deep breath.
—
Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Nov. 2025
The pair took a spin through the watery exhibits, and then Hanks clasped his hands together.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Later, the family clasped hands and prayed in a circle.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2025
So the film only makes sense when those two things are clasped together.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2025
Near Rolles, a half dozen women stood by parked cars, rosary beads clasped, heads lowered in prayer.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2025
His knuckles were raw white, all tense and clasped on his knees.
—Literary Hub, 3 Oct. 2025
Combs sat with his hands clasped, looking downcast, as he was sentenced to four years in prison.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Combs, 55, reportedly clasped his hands and cast his eyes downward as Judge Arun Subramanian handed down the sentence in Federal District Court in Manhattan.
—Oliver Gettell, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Oct. 2025
Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Nov. 2025
The pair took a spin through the watery exhibits, and then Hanks clasped his hands together.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Later, the family clasped hands and prayed in a circle.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2025
So the film only makes sense when those two things are clasped together.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2025
Near Rolles, a half dozen women stood by parked cars, rosary beads clasped, heads lowered in prayer.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2025
His knuckles were raw white, all tense and clasped on his knees.
—Literary Hub, 3 Oct. 2025
Combs sat with his hands clasped, looking downcast, as he was sentenced to four years in prison.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Combs, 55, reportedly clasped his hands and cast his eyes downward as Judge Arun Subramanian handed down the sentence in Federal District Court in Manhattan.
—Oliver Gettell, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clasped
Verb
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After it was read, Dunn hugged his lawyers in the courtroom.—
Stephen Sorace , Louis Casiano , Jake Gibson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Kinloch offers advice, not concession to Sheffield After giving his speech, Kinloch shook hands, hugged and took photos with his supporters, who generally radiated smiles and continued dancing, despite his loss in the race.—
Dana Afana,
Freep.com,
5 Nov. 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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My teacher grasped my wrists, forcing me to pick it up.—
Erin Silvia,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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This time was his time and with Gordon off the pitch, Woltemade grasped it and clung to it.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The 85-year-old Pelosi clung to her job in the House well past her time.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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Maduro has ruled Venezuela with an iron fist since 2013 and has clung to power despite an apparently decisive loss in the 2024 presidential election.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Canada was gripped by the World Series last month and early in November as the Blue Jays, the country’s only MLB team, came agonizingly close to upsetting the Dodgers juggernaut.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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The raccoon, who had wrapped both paws around the cone and whose legs gripped the bottom of the cone, eventually slipped off and fell back into the water, just as DeLeo got close to pulling him to safety.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Döpfner nearly bought the FT in 2015, before losing it to Nikkei, and took a controlling stake in Business Insider — at the top of the new media market — for $343 million.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
10 Nov. 2025
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With the win, Southern Miss (7-2, 5-0) took sole possession of first place in the Sun Belt Conference West Division standings.—
Michael Harley,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasped. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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