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
Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.
—
David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clenching
Verb
-
In her post, Audrey and her little one can be seen snuggling up together, with her baby boy clutching her finger.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Ginsberg took the stage, clutching his typewritten pages.—
Gerard DeGroot,
Air Mail,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
It’s measured by gripping a handheld dynamometer.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The satire on higher education is rich, yet the larger themes about one’s purpose and ideas are gripping.—
AudioFile Magazine
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Almost as a cry for help, just holding onto her last bit of identity and not having a lot of time to do things on her own time.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
In case that wasn't enough of a wink from the show's creators, there's a scene in the finale where the head nurse at the institution holding Gein advises him to write a book, noting that so many other people have taken liberties with his story.—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Securing the Shield ensures the top seed for Philly and home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup playoffs for a team that has quietly gone about a consistent season without grabbing much in the way of attention.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Without strangers lunging at her and grabbing her forearm.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clenching. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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