CLENCHING Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

clenching

verb

present participle of clench

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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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 clenching Years ago, after Jake died, my instinct as a medical student was anger — clenching my teeth and jabbing a pen into my notepad, making a line of inky holes along the margin. — Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026 Janet held the phone away from her ear, clenching her teeth against Maggie’s booming voice. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026 His workouts, jaw-clenching pull-ups and all, regularly appear on social media. — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026 While not everyone experiences such dramatic effects, experts say stress, clenching and even past trauma can contribute to TMJ issues. — Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 22 May 2026 The Beloved, his first film in Competition at Cannes, is an incredible achievement that builds on all those films and leaves them standing in the dust, hitting all the same tense throat-clenching beats but somehow transcending genre altogether. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 May 2026 In the premiere, Rue and Faye run drugs across the border, clenching their butts to hold bags of fentanyl in their digestive tract for as long as possible. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clenching

Verb

As the deli’s surveillance video rolled, his client went from calmly standing at the counter with a bottle of Gatorade to staggering to the floor, clutching his leg and tearing at his pants.

— Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026
In a satiric short video, Rabid Dogs, 2002, for example, white-collar workers dress upas rapacious canines, clutching Burberry bags in their mouths and traversing cubicles on all fours.

— Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of clutching

Verb

On the flip side is the Great Seal of the United States, with the bald eagle gripping arrows in one claw and an olive branch in the other.

— Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
The smaller rocks want to wedge themselves between tread blocks, so tires have to eject those, while also gripping them enough to propel the vehicle.

— Michael Febbo, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of gripping

Verb

Markets are currently pricing in a near 50-50 chance of the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee hiking rates versus holding them at their September meeting, according to the CME’s FedWatch tool.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Harvey adjusted for Nix’s throw, leaping up at the front of the end zone and holding onto the ball through contact.

— Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of holding

Verb

Madrid may have grand monuments, lvish fountains, domed neoclassical buildings and Renaissance squares, yet the Spanish capital has sometimes been overshadowed by seemingly headline-grabbing cities such as Barcelona or Seville.

— Eddi Fiegel, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2026
From a Dooney & Bourke handbag marked down by nearly $150 to a cozy Peanuts Halloween blanket for less than $24, our readers have been busy grabbing all the biggest discounts across fashion, home essentials, travel gear and fall staples.

— Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of grabbing

Browse Nearby Words

clenches

clenching

clepe

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“Clenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clenching. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of clenching

verb

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