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
Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
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
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
As Rathbun and other officers retreated, Webster clenched both fists, crouched into a linebacker’s stance, and charged into Rathbun, knocking him to the ground.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clench
Noun
Brazilian democracy has spent the past three years in a near-permanent state of tension – a full-body clench against an ex-president who refused to accept defeat.
—Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
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
Don’t leave home without a rose clenched between your teeth.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
As Rathbun and other officers retreated, Webster clenched both fists, crouched into a linebacker’s stance, and charged into Rathbun, knocking him to the ground.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clench
Noun
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Boston maintained its grip on second place in the Eastern Conference, however, leading the New York Knicks by 1 1/2 games and the Cleveland Cavaliers by two.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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The grip patterns on the soles may also play a role.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Two years ago, Megan Selser was folding her 7-week-old infant’s clothes, clutching his fuzzy red head to her chest, when her phone rang.—
Jason Mast,
STAT,
26 Feb. 2026
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Benedict is still all in with love, convincingly enough that Sophie sneaks back to her room, glowing and grinning, with the drawing of Our Cottage clutched in her hands.—
Christina Grace Tucker,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Schumer’s grasp of generational dynamics is increasingly in question, but there are sensible reasons for caution.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
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Shuffleboard is one of the most popular barroom games in the country, thanks to its easy-to-grasp rules and high level of necessary skill and dexterity.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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According to the firm, the effort reflects sustained demand from naval and air warfighters for aircraft capable of holding targets at risk from extended distances, particularly across the vast air and maritime spaces of the Western Pacific.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Feb. 2026
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The measure holds employers accountable for policies that discourage the reporting of theft and that might result in retaliation against an employee who does report a crime.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Neely tried to grab Belt-Stubblefield by the neck and take him to the ground, but the officer is the one who fell, according to the notice of claim.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
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Melvin Trotter walked in and began rifling through the cash register, grabbing about $100 and some food stamps.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clench. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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