clasping

present participle of clasp

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 clasping But if the awards season goes as the streamer plans, a journey that began in Cannes with a rapturous standing ovation, could end with Los Javis clasping some golden statues. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2026 One juror was rubbing his eyes as Sullivan talked, and another was clasping and unclasping his hands in his lap. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026 These feature the American Eagle on one side, clasping an oak branch in its talons. — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 20 July 2026 Their logo is an osprey, clasping a baseball bat in its talons. — Alanis Thames, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026 Charlotte, an avid tennis fan like her mom, could be seen clasping her face in shock with her eyes wide during the games, mirroring Kate's own expressions at times. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 4 July 2026 Aabria, by contrast, leans on personality and connection, clasping hands with the jurors and complimenting them before calmly lying about the rules of the bra contest and her victory. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 30 June 2026 The cap’s crown is decorated with three clasping hands symbolizing unity and brotherhood. — Nancy Olson, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clasping
Verb
  • After the game, where Wilson dominated yet again, leading all scorers with 36 points, along with 10 rebounds, Wilson was seen hugging team owner Mark Davis, as well as friends, and her mother, Eva Rakes Wilson.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Di Felice’s re-edition of the iconic vinyl mini skirts and jackets was an instant success, while his figure-hugging clubwear and boot-cut jeans cemented his reputation for a bold, distinctive style.
    — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • He was put into a 20-foot-by-20-foot holding cell with at least 25 other men.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • That machine set a global benchmark in January 2025 by holding plasma heated to 100 million degrees Celsius (180 million degrees Fahrenheit) for 1,066 seconds.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The boomer’s reckoning Voeste grew up in Dortmund, the coal-and-steel city whose fate has long illustrated the dangers of clinging to an industrial past after its economics have changed.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Whether someone can survive in the water is also hard to predict, Leahy said, and depends on several factors, including the water temperature and whether the person is wearing a flotation device or is clinging to debris.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Three months after his brother’s murder, Leroy still has a hard time grasping his family’s new reality.
    — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Congress ultimately adopted this image in the Great Seal of the United States in 1782, with a bald eagle grasping 13 arrows in one foot, and an olive branch representing peace in the other.
    — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • What happened—which can be reconstructed from messages that the agents sent one another and from traces of their own internal reasoning, known as chain-of-thought records—makes for gripping reading.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Each chapter of her life delivers gripping scenes with twists and turns, accomplishments and setbacks.
    — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Pittsburgh Penguins player Andrei Kuzmenko returned to the team on Friday after taking some time in the wake of his father's tragic death in a bear attack last month in Siberia.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Officers were seen placing several people in handcuffs and taking them away after the shooting.
    — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasping. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!