clutch

1 a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action a football quarterback who always comes through in the clutch Synonyms boiling point, breaking point, clutch, conjuncture, crisis, crossroad(s), crunch, crunch time, Dunkirk, exigency, extremity, flash point, head, juncture, tinderbox, zero hourRelated Words contingency, possibility; climax, turning point; happening, landmark, milestone; condition, pass, situation, strait; deadlock, impasse, stalemate; corner, fix, hole, hot water, jam, last ditch, pinch, predicament, scrape, spot; eleventh hour, last minute

2 the right or means to command or control others a nation no longer living in the clutch of a cruel tyrant Synonyms arm, authority, clutch, command, control, death grip, dominion, grip, hold, mastery, reign, rein(s), swayRelated Words clout, influence, leverage, pull, voice, weight; jurisdiction; direction, management; dominance, imperium, predominance, sovereignty (also sovranty), supremacy; prerogative, privilege, right; eminence, importance, momentNear Antonyms helplessness, weaknessAntonyms impotence, impotency, powerlessness

to have or keep in one's hands he clutched the eggs carefully so he wouldn't drop them Synonyms clench, cling (to), hold, gripRelated Words bear, carry; bag, capture, catch, collar, corral, grab, grapple, hook, land, latch (on or onto), nab, nail, seize, snap (up), snare, snatch, take, trap; feel, finger, handle, paw; clasp, embrace, grasp, hug; cradleNear Antonyms drop, give, hand, unclasp, unhand; cede, deliver, give up, hand out, hand over, release, relinquish, render, turn over, yield