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
Relevance
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
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 clasped
The athlete kicked off his update posted on Wednesday with a snap of the pair walking down the aisle in their wedding attire with their hands clasped together in the air after exchanging their vows.
—
Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
By the time the misery was over, Skubal walked toward the dugout, took a hard seat on the bench and clasped his hands.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Scott, attending a court hearing via video feed from Corcoran state prison, clasped his hands and thanked God and all involved with his release.
—Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
The dress, made of metal, was tightly sewn and clasped together, barely any leeway to walk in a decent stride.
—Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
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
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
Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
By the time the misery was over, Skubal walked toward the dugout, took a hard seat on the bench and clasped his hands.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Scott, attending a court hearing via video feed from Corcoran state prison, clasped his hands and thanked God and all involved with his release.
—Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
The dress, made of metal, was tightly sewn and clasped together, barely any leeway to walk in a decent stride.
—Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clasped
Verb
-
The Chicago actress hugged her firstborn while celebrating his graduation back in 2022.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The two hugged, then stood together as the crowd cheered and the program came to an end.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The Reformation’s possibilities, as well as its limits, cannot be grasped without an understanding of the Peasants’ War as the giant trauma at its center.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Having fully grasped Prodigy’s manipulations, Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and the hybrids weaponize their synth bodies, along with her nifty new ability to command Xenomorphs, to seize control of Neverland.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Sen already has legions of fans who adore their storytelling, have for years clung to her every post and update, and have read the digital equivalent of thousands of pages of her writing.—
Nikki McCann Ramirez,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Conservatives, by contrast, have clung to the ideals of free speech as the highest good, believing that the answer to bad ideas is always more debate.—
Carolyn McKinney,
Boston Herald,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Starmer gripped the American President close, anyhow.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Days after a criminal gang stormed this rural village in Haiti’s northwest, setting fire to the local police substation and looting homes, residents remain gripped by fear amid concerns that the violence isn’t over.—
Ychmuth Corneille,
Miami Herald,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Chiefs took a 20-10 lead into halftime and ultimately won 37-20, improving to 2-2 on the season, while Baltimore fell to 1-3.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Before Springsteen took the microphone, writer/director Scott Cooper shared a story about how his family lost their home in the Palisades Fire in California earlier this year.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasped. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share