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
Hands clasped, head bowed, blank and fair of face.
—
Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
While the other candidates pressed their palms against the podiums, ready to pounce on every question, Becerra clasped his hands like an altar boy.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Another girl, Donna Jo, apparently naked on a back-yard lawn, holds several small, round pieces of fruit, still on their leafy branch, clasped to her chest like a trophy.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Kneeling beside him is a young woman with hands clasped in prayer in this moment of freedom.
—Tyehimba Jess, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Harry stood quietly with his hands clasped until one line appeared to resonate deeply.
—Kylie Walters, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
The oversized coat featured a single button along the collar, which Zendaya wore clasped over her cotton-poplin skirt, creating a voluminous silhouette with an airy effect.
—Staff Author, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026
As Keyla ran around the stage in a black dress adorned with crosses, Richie and Palmer clasped their hands in excitement.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Sitting in a back room at ExtraMile Arena last weekend, Miller clasped hands with old teammate Steve Barrett, who helped pull him to his feet after an hourlong interview with the Statesman.
—Idaho Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
While the other candidates pressed their palms against the podiums, ready to pounce on every question, Becerra clasped his hands like an altar boy.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Another girl, Donna Jo, apparently naked on a back-yard lawn, holds several small, round pieces of fruit, still on their leafy branch, clasped to her chest like a trophy.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Kneeling beside him is a young woman with hands clasped in prayer in this moment of freedom.
—Tyehimba Jess, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Harry stood quietly with his hands clasped until one line appeared to resonate deeply.
—Kylie Walters, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
The oversized coat featured a single button along the collar, which Zendaya wore clasped over her cotton-poplin skirt, creating a voluminous silhouette with an airy effect.
—Staff Author, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026
As Keyla ran around the stage in a black dress adorned with crosses, Richie and Palmer clasped their hands in excitement.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Sitting in a back room at ExtraMile Arena last weekend, Miller clasped hands with old teammate Steve Barrett, who helped pull him to his feet after an hourlong interview with the Statesman.
—Idaho Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clasped
Verb
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People hugged and cheered around Delp, shifting positions and blocking the sofa without realizing the persistent pup was trying to push through just below them.—
Sara Vallone,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Apr. 2026
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In his press conference on Monday, Rosenior pointed out that one video of Fernandez appearing to walk past him after being substituted against Manchester United was cut before the player turned around and hugged him and shook his hand.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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
-
Maybe soccer has a world of fans who haven’t quite grasped this new-money concept.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
-
His survival so far depended on the passion of people who may not have grasped how grave his situation was.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Reigns clung onto the referee and exposed a turnbuckle in the process.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
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Throughout the hall, people clung tightly to one another, wiping away each other’s tears.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Mali, a former French colony long gripped by insurgency, is governed by a military junta following consecutive coups in 2020 and 2021.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
-
In 2020, as the pandemic gripped the world, Cord Jefferson, Max Read, Emma Carmichael and Leah Beckmann spent their days in a Zoom writers room immersed in a project that hit close to home.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Water has been a focus of the Newsom administration since his first day in office, when the governor took his cabinet to Monterey Park Tract, a rural Central Valley community that lacked access to safe drinking water.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Last Saturday, during SDFC’s rivalry match against LAFC, one fan took the message up a notch.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasped. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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