1
as in hugging
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 holding
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
clasped a crayon and began drawing
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of clasping
In one segment, when Kimmel and McNearney pick up a hitchhiking Olivia Rodrigo while taking the family to school, Jane shows off her personality, clasping her hands over her mouth in disbelief when Rodrigo enters the car, only to sing-along with the pop star on her way to school.
—
ABC News, 12 May 2026
McDaniels held onto Murray for dear life — often literally clasping his jersey — as the Nuggets tried to run him off every conceivable screen.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
The june bug falls to the bottom of the bag but manages to recover from a new round of kicking by clasping to a leaf.
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Others showed baby Spero clasping his tiny hand around Graham's finger and slumbering with a smile on his face.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
Back at the gathering, there were Martha’s groans and Gretchen’s anger, and there was Mike, clasping his chest—a heart attack?
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Olympic nails have been seen clasping medals on more than one occasion.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Then the beetle seeks out an ant — climbing on top of it, clasping its antennae in its jaws and scooping up its pheromones with brush-like legs.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
To keep the jewelry clean, Glasser covered them in bubblegum wrappers, removing them before clasping the dress in place.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 3 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 12 May 2026
McDaniels held onto Murray for dear life — often literally clasping his jersey — as the Nuggets tried to run him off every conceivable screen.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
The june bug falls to the bottom of the bag but manages to recover from a new round of kicking by clasping to a leaf.
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Others showed baby Spero clasping his tiny hand around Graham's finger and slumbering with a smile on his face.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
Back at the gathering, there were Martha’s groans and Gretchen’s anger, and there was Mike, clasping his chest—a heart attack?
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Olympic nails have been seen clasping medals on more than one occasion.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Then the beetle seeks out an ant — climbing on top of it, clasping its antennae in its jaws and scooping up its pheromones with brush-like legs.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
To keep the jewelry clean, Glasser covered them in bubblegum wrappers, removing them before clasping the dress in place.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clasping
Verb
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Rendered in a soft buttercream hue, the dress featured a high neckline and an elegant swing silhouette that skimmed the body rather than hugging it.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
11 June 2026
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Ground-hugging plants can be pruned around the outer edges.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
Verb
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London's Serpentine Gallery is currently holding his first exhibition there, which was conceived in close collaboration with the artist and showcases new paintings by him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
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But through four games, with the Knicks holding a commanding 3-1 series lead, Wembanyama has done little to justify the hype.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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That risk is real, but so is the cost of clinging to a model that forces each national operator to build out their own towers and fiber while capital remains scarce.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
8 June 2026
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The lightweight fabric drapes easily without clinging, and shoppers praise it for staying breathable in hot weather.—
Amanda Eyre Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The tip works best for grasping thick hairs that might crop up at the chin (IYKYK) and will successfully pull them out without much irritation or redness.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
10 June 2026
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Humanoid robots struggling with tasks like grasping a cup have a new teacher — a person wearing an ultrasound wristband that captures the movement of muscles, tendons and ligaments beneath the skin.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The strapless neckline stays in place thanks to the elastic gripping tape along the bust.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2026
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Footage released by Xinhua shows humanoid robots gripping parcels from containers and placing them onto sorting lines, while autonomous forklifts transport loads through the warehouse floor.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The Portugal Football Summit — organised by the Portuguese Football Federation and taking place 23–25 September in Oeiras — brings together the game’s leading voices on football business, leadership and the future of the sport.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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The Aftermath is a special bonus episode taking place after the reunion and will air next week.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasping. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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