as in grips
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 clutches
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 clenches
Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
In a similar way, a man who is defiant stiffens his neck, squares his shoulders, lowers his brows, and clenches his fists with his knuckles forward.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
Zonal reinforcements fend off unfriendly rocks, stumps and features, and a Vibram Megagrip sole clenches all kinds of slippery, unbalanced raw ground.
—New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2025
As Solène leaves, Rainbeau clenches her fists, talking herself out of hitting Solène and remembering the way disputes got resolved in her family.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
When the sky darkens, her stomach clenches.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
In a similar way, a man who is defiant stiffens his neck, squares his shoulders, lowers his brows, and clenches his fists with his knuckles forward.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
Zonal reinforcements fend off unfriendly rocks, stumps and features, and a Vibram Megagrip sole clenches all kinds of slippery, unbalanced raw ground.
—New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2025
As Solène leaves, Rainbeau clenches her fists, talking herself out of hitting Solène and remembering the way disputes got resolved in her family.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clenches
Noun
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Needless to say, Prince William's visit to Brazil offers him an opportunity to attempt a reset for the British monarchy, which for weeks now has been in the grips of a crisis about Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Heated grips, cruise control, a quickshifter, knuckle protectors, and a center stand all come as stock.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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On the plane, Dick clutches the slingshot and begins sweating and muttering to himself before becoming unresponsive.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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The older woman clutches her top towel closer to her.—
Weike Wang,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Hurricanes needed that to happen after the game nearly slipped out of their grasps.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
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Halakhic rulings on divorce, medical emergencies, or conversion involve nuance that no present-day model grasps.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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One cheerfully holds a toothbrush, her hair wrapped in a matching second towel (for me, a universal symbol of maturity and womanhood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Outside of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North, who both stand alone as the only squads in their division with winning records, every other divisional leader holds only a slim edge over rivals in hot pursuit.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Its slash-proof body is also waterproof and comes with locking zippers, RFID-blocking card slots, and lockable clasps.—
Claire Gallam,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Nov. 2025
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Ancient book clasps — used to keep manuscript tomes shut — were uncovered at the site, along with styli, the medieval equivalents of pens and pencils.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the sustained fury grabs you.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
4 Nov. 2025
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Today, artificial intelligence grabs headlines and AI stocks are soaring.—
Drew O’Connor,
Nashville Tennessean,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clenches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clenches. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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