as in clutched
to have or keep in one's hands
clenched a tissue in his hands as he told his story of misfortune
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clenched
The White House Key Facts A rendering of the passport shared by the White House on Friday shows Trump presumably leaning over the Resolute Desk, fists clenched, alongside his signature and text from the Declaration of Independence.
—
Antonio Pequeño Iv,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
Coley and the audience know this isn’t true, but Sonya’s clenched jaw and steely gaze don’t leave room for questions.
—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
As the ball landed safely on the other side of the left field fence at Nationals Park on Monday, Dylan Crews clenched his fists and let out a scream.
—
Danielle Allentuck,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
An accompanying photograph shows Glimcher holding the viewer’s gaze, his right hand outstretched on the desk, clenched in a tight fist.
—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
4 June 2026
On April 23, LeCroy remembered, Crews caught a sinking liner, held his glove in the air, clenched his fist and screamed into his glove.
—
Spencer Nusbaum,
New York Times,
19 May 2026
Tuanzebe—born in Bunia, raised in Rochdale—is sprinting toward the corner flag, fists clenched at his waist, triumphant.
—
Franklin Leonard,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
Knives are clutched, teeth are clenched, and a desperate Russian ex-pat yells loud enough for their long-dead ancestors to hear all the way back in the motherland.
—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Jordan clenched the cup so tightly her knuckles turned white.
—
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Antonio Pequeño Iv,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
Coley and the audience know this isn’t true, but Sonya’s clenched jaw and steely gaze don’t leave room for questions.
—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
As the ball landed safely on the other side of the left field fence at Nationals Park on Monday, Dylan Crews clenched his fists and let out a scream.
—
Danielle Allentuck,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
An accompanying photograph shows Glimcher holding the viewer’s gaze, his right hand outstretched on the desk, clenched in a tight fist.
—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
4 June 2026
On April 23, LeCroy remembered, Crews caught a sinking liner, held his glove in the air, clenched his fist and screamed into his glove.
—
Spencer Nusbaum,
New York Times,
19 May 2026
Tuanzebe—born in Bunia, raised in Rochdale—is sprinting toward the corner flag, fists clenched at his waist, triumphant.
—
Franklin Leonard,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
Knives are clutched, teeth are clenched, and a desperate Russian ex-pat yells loud enough for their long-dead ancestors to hear all the way back in the motherland.
—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Jordan clenched the cup so tightly her knuckles turned white.
—
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clenched
Verb
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Women clutched photographs of sons and brothers killed in the war — many of them fighting for Hezbollah — while others held photographs of Nasrallah or Iran’s Khamenei.
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Eitan, 3, clutched a dinosaur while his older brother, Abel, 6, held a bright orange fox clad in a rainbow long-sleeve shirt.
Verb
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Much of the wider region — Nevada, Colorado and beyond — has been gripped by widespread drought after an unusually dry winter.
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With Utah gripped by one of its most dangerous wildfire seasons in recent memory, state officials have imposed sweeping restrictions on Fourth of July fireworks ahead of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebrations, saying the risk of sparking catastrophic new fires is simply too great.
Verb
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The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.
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That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.
Cite this Entry
“Clenched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clenched. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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