clenches 1 of 2

noun

plural of clench
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clenches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of clench
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clenches
Verb
As the comedy progresses, its buoyant tone clenches and darkens, and the plot bends and lurches, in ways that, to me, felt unnecessarily punitive toward both Haru and the audience. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026 As the infection takes hold, a patient’s jaw clenches, forcing the face into what appears to be a wide smile, and the back muscles contort into a painful arch. — Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025 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
  1. grips
  2. clutches
  3. grasps
  4. holds
  5. clasps
  6. grabs
Noun
  • Painter, baseball in hand, demonstrated the evolution of his grips this week to The Athletic.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • This luggage customization kit includes two comfort handle grips, six zipper pullers, a carry pouch, and an ID tag, all designed to elevate your current suitcase.
    — Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 2026
Definition of grips
Verb
  • For years, Guerin has held onto his veteran core like a grandmother clutches her third-generation pearls.
    — Michael Russo, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • In the midst of handing the job over to his son, even as Diego is making a speech about water supplies, hygiene and education, Don Alejandro snatches it back to cheers, clutches his heart and dies.
    — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of clutches
Noun
  • Through universal intelligent manipulation, the robot autonomously plans grasps, adjusts force in real time, and navigates obstacles using seamless hand–eye coordination.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The Hurricanes needed that to happen after the game nearly slipped out of their grasps.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Definition of grasps
Verb
  • Chef Yannick Lohou, fresh from Barcelona, holds the dining room spellbound with pretty-as-a-picture dishes such as toro tartare with caviar.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The analogy holds, except that your boat has grown an engine, and the engine upgrades compound every few months.
    — Michael Wee, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of holds
Noun
  • The peep-toe heels also featured gold hardware emblazoned with the designer’s logo along the forefoot, which coordinated perfectly with the clasps on her $3,100 denim shoulder bag.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 25 July 2026
  • The clasps are also an homage to those used on LV trunks since the 1860s.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 14 July 2026
Definition of clasps
Verb
  • For kids, anger often shows up when something doesn’t go their way—like when a playmate grabs their toy.
    — Jenna Autuori-Dedic, Parents, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Timothy Olyphant grabs a drink ahead of his appearance on Late Night with Seth Myers on July 30.
    — People Staff, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of grabs

Browse Nearby Words

clenched
clenches
clenching
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clenches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clenches. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on clenches

Nglish: Translation of clenches for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All