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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Recent Examples of clasping
Flex your left knee at a 90-degree angle and place the rope around the mid-foot, clasping the rope with the right hand.
—
Gerard Hartmann, Outside, 3 Nov. 2025
Next page, clasping hands with Schweitzer in her satin, white wedding dress with a rose bouquet.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
After arriving on the scene, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey ran toward the sanctuary and was later seen clasping his hands outside on the church steps.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Parents, some in tears, walked from the school, clasping their kids by the hands or carrying them out on their shoulders.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2025
The two took a few moments to pose on the red – well, beige – carpet together, sharing an embrace, clasping hands and admiring each other's outfits (Johnson was in Gucci).
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
The Everybody's Live with John Mulaney host, 42, sits on the bed, wearing a surgical mask and clasping Munn's hands in his.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Olea stood in the court room Thursday in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs, clasping his own hands.
—Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
Gerard Hartmann, Outside, 3 Nov. 2025
Next page, clasping hands with Schweitzer in her satin, white wedding dress with a rose bouquet.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
After arriving on the scene, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey ran toward the sanctuary and was later seen clasping his hands outside on the church steps.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Parents, some in tears, walked from the school, clasping their kids by the hands or carrying them out on their shoulders.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2025
The two took a few moments to pose on the red – well, beige – carpet together, sharing an embrace, clasping hands and admiring each other's outfits (Johnson was in Gucci).
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
The Everybody's Live with John Mulaney host, 42, sits on the bed, wearing a surgical mask and clasping Munn's hands in his.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Olea stood in the court room Thursday in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs, clasping his own hands.
—Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clasping
Verb
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Harbour and Brown arrived together on the red carpet for the premiere of the latest season and were captured on camera laughing, hugging each other and posing for photos.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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Sweeney’s look played with proportions, with the leg-hugging footwear offsetting her oversized ensemble.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Jeff Bezos holding the device high.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
10 Nov. 2025
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This loss had to be especially tough for the Jayhawks, considering a controversial holding call on KU changed the momentum of the game.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Friends and family will often counsel against making such a weighty decision in the midst of emotional turbulence, not grasping that a profound sense of misalignment is what is feeding the turbulence in the first place.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Still, Valentini managed to rise as a fashion authority for her talent in grasping gaps in the market and putting new names on the radar of Italian customers.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rather, Metropolitan evokes the youthful experience of being home, avoiding family, and clinging to friends during the holiday break, when responsibility remains over the horizon and your whole life is still ahead of you.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
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For pesky food bits clinging to the bottom of your pan, use coarse-ground salt to buff them off gently.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The extra innings were gripping – the Dodgers left the bases loaded in the top of the 10th, the Blue Jays left the tying run on third in the bottom of the 11th.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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Thin, black bezels surround the edges, while the left bezel thickens to provide a space for gripping the tablet.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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When in doubt, close the page and verify the URL before taking any action.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Roan ended up taking home the trophy.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasping. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
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