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
Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Kassondra Cloos, Outside, 10 Sep. 2025
And then there’s Eros, also known as Cupid, who flies away with his little buttocks clenched at the least hint of a rational process.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clench
Noun
The Cleveland Guardians beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-4, on Thursday night in Game 4 of the ALDS, tying the series and setting up a clench-your-teeth, hold-your-breath series finale.
—Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
Lalay, a 15-foot crocodile, was not amused and spent half an hour thrashing around with the man’s leg clenched in her teeth, until the park owner clocked her over the head with a block of concrete to get her to let go.
—Kassondra Cloos, Outside, 10 Sep. 2025
And then there’s Eros, also known as Cupid, who flies away with his little buttocks clenched at the least hint of a rational process.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clench
Noun
-
In an increasingly crowded sports month, the lighthearted newcomer will help baseball keep its grip on the public consciousness.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
New data showed manufacturing contracted this month, but less than expected, a hopeful indication that authorities may be coming to grips with industrial overcapacity.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In her post, Audrey and her little one can be seen snuggling up together, with her baby boy clutching her finger.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
But their hopes were dashed on Tuesday night thanks to Red Sox star Garrett Crochet and clutch hitting from Masataka Yoshida and Alex Bregman.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Like so many young adults, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, now 30, experimented with drinking and other substances but found things getting beyond her grasp.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Let’s assume, for the sake of this exercise, that your nearly 70 years in the afterlife has given you an innate grasp of modern analytics, air travel, nutrition and a deep understanding of the collective psyche of Gen Z.—
Levi Weaver,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Republicans balked, accusing Democrats of holding the government hostage by standing in the way of continued federal funding unless their health-care demands are met.—
Kevin Breuninger,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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While Avatar 2 will have 90% of the Imax, One Battle After Another will hold onto its Imax 70MM auditoriums.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The ball popped up in the air and Bolton was there to grab it, except he was hit by teammate Drue Tranquill.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
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Sasaki was the necessary answer on Monday night, coming in to secure the final out and avoid disaster as Freddie Freeman sprawled out to grab Tommy Edman’s final throw to first base.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clench. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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