as in grip
the act or manner of holding
fearful that his suitcase might be stolen, he never once relaxed his clench on the handle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to grip
to have or keep in one's hands
clenched a tissue in his hands as he told his story of misfortune
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clench
Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 27 June 2025
As detailed in the documentary, many passengers popped Imodium and clenched their cheeks, hoping to escape the ship without having to grab a bag, but four days is a long time.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 25 June 2025
With his arm forming a 90-degree angle at his elbow, Shohei Ohtani clenched his right hand like an umpire signaling an out.
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
The width of your clenched first from your thumb to the other side of your hand is about 10 degrees, while the thickness of your little finger accounts for around 1 degree in the night sky.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for clench
Verb
Jake Gyllenhaal’s Jack Twist is Ennis’ foil in every way: loose where Ennis is clenched, hungry where Ennis is stoic.
—Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 27 June 2025
As detailed in the documentary, many passengers popped Imodium and clenched their cheeks, hoping to escape the ship without having to grab a bag, but four days is a long time.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 25 June 2025
With his arm forming a 90-degree angle at his elbow, Shohei Ohtani clenched his right hand like an umpire signaling an out.
—Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
The width of your clenched first from your thumb to the other side of your hand is about 10 degrees, while the thickness of your little finger accounts for around 1 degree in the night sky.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for clench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clench
Noun
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Since achieving independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has spent nearly half its life at war and is currently in the grip of a political crisis, after President Salva Kiir's government ordered the arrest of Vice President Riek Machar in March.—
George Obulutsa,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
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Treatment to clear the blood of its grip is also a race against time.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Messi fell to the ground and clutched his leg after being challenged by defenders Raul Sanchez and Alexi Pena at the 11-minute mark of the game.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
4 Aug. 2025
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Johnson immediately clutched his right leg, and the medical staff placed him on a cart after evaluating the situation on the Allegiant Stadium turf, which was seen in a video posted by ESPN.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Improving knowledge of functional, everyday difficulties and potential scaffolding is within the grasp of HR with the occasional advice of specialists where needed.—
Nancy Doyle,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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But by autumn Iran was slipping from the Shah’s grasp.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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He is being held without bond at the Washington County Detention Center.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
8 Aug. 2025
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Regardless of what the future holds, Roman Anthony has set himself and his family up for life, and the Red Sox have locked in yet another piece of their future at a reasonable rate.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But Sunday, unfortunately for him, slipped away quickly as World No. 1 grabbed his fifth season title.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
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Four prisoners had to take turns using a bunk bed just to grab a few hours of sleep.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clench. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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