as in clutching
to have or keep in one's hands
clenched a tissue in his hands as he told his story of misfortune
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Recent Examples of clenching
Protect against teeth grinding, clenching and enamel damage with custom dental solutions from ClearClub.
—
Tory Johnson, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Melvin Council stood amid a crowd of his Kansas teammates, clenching a black belt in his fist.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2026
Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.
—David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Tory Johnson, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Melvin Council stood amid a crowd of his Kansas teammates, clenching a black belt in his fist.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2026
Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.
—David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clenching
Verb
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When Barbara Walters started interviewing celebrities on her prime time specials for ABC in the 1970s, pearl-clutching journalistic purists were aghast.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
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Among his favorite methods of doing so are sitting in audience members’ laps, singing along to ’80s hits, clutching a giant prop baby bottle and doing pistol squats.—
Theater Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
My fingers were gripping her apron.—
Dawn Lerman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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Authorities say the case highlights the alarming scale and deadly potential of the fentanyl crisis gripping communities across the country.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iran's players sing the national anthem, holding school bags symbolizing children killed at a school in Minab, before a soccer match between Iran and Nigeria, in Antalya, Turkey, on March 27, 2026.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Temptations to overspend will surface, but the key is holding steady without being rigid.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kaufman-Renn hit his first seven shots — going 6-for-6 and grabbing five rebounds in the first half — on the way to 20 points.—
Janie McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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Agents targeted grocery stores, churches, and construction sites, smashing car windows and pulling people from vehicles or grabbing them at a hardware store parking lot.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clenching. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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