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
Relevance
2
as in holding
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 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
-
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
-
Ground-hugging plants can be pruned around the outer edges.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The Cameroon international is worth holding one more week, for Bournemouth at home, having got on the scoresheet last time out.—
Holly Shand,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Researchers had believed that the material holding the thorium needed to be transparent so laser light could pass through and excite its nucleus.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
He was found clinging to a life jacket before being brought to shore and subsequently being transported to a local hospital, per the outlet.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
-
Cook, stirring often, until asparagus is tender and cream is clinging to vegetables and pasta, about 5 minutes; remove from heat.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Each leg provides six degrees of freedom, while additional articulation in the arms and waist supports smooth, human-like actions, including bending, reaching, and precision grasping.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Scott Warren, one of the paper’s authors and a fellow at the SNF Agora Institute, told Newsweek that understanding these distinctions is essential to grasping the GOP’s internal dynamics.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Once the age checks were done, the opening bars to the FIFA anthem crackled through the stadium speakers, and the players filed onto the field, gripping the hands of the young local players escorting them.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
NPR,
14 June 2026
-
But for those of us following along at home, the terror and curiosity of what might happen made for gripping TV.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Apparently, the only thing stopping him from scoring a fourth is Argentina's taking him off the pitch.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
17 June 2026
-
On Monday, 60 Tao people from Taiwan’s Orchid Island set off on a 111-mile voyage, taking turns to paddle against strong currents to reach the Ivatan people on Batan Island, located in the far north of the Philippines, replicating a journey first thought to have been made more than 4,000 years ago.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasping. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
