as in clenched
to have or keep in one's hands
he clutched the eggs carefully so he wouldn't drop them
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Recent Examples of clutched
The boy clutched it to his chest in overwhelmed delight.
—
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
Alessandro clutched his dad tightly.
—Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
The pair’s snow boots tramped the nearly week-old Kansas City snow, two candles clutched in their small hands.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2026
James clutched the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the final image.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Then Elliss sprinted to fall on the ball, got up and ran toward the nearest end zone in celebration, all while Herbert laid flat on his back and clutched his chest plate with both hands.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
To complete her outfit, Kylie clutched a White Birkin Faubourg House Alligator Bag, which is worth anywhere from $200K to upwards of $300K, according to Sotheby's.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Raynaud clutched his left knee while writhing in pain before limping off the floor with assistance from head athletic trainer Joel Noland.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Arabs saw Lyra as a goose, and in fact, in early American history, Lyra was seen as a small eagle with a harp clutched in its beak.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
Alessandro clutched his dad tightly.
—Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
The pair’s snow boots tramped the nearly week-old Kansas City snow, two candles clutched in their small hands.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2026
James clutched the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the final image.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Then Elliss sprinted to fall on the ball, got up and ran toward the nearest end zone in celebration, all while Herbert laid flat on his back and clutched his chest plate with both hands.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
To complete her outfit, Kylie clutched a White Birkin Faubourg House Alligator Bag, which is worth anywhere from $200K to upwards of $300K, according to Sotheby's.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Raynaud clutched his left knee while writhing in pain before limping off the floor with assistance from head athletic trainer Joel Noland.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Arabs saw Lyra as a goose, and in fact, in early American history, Lyra was seen as a small eagle with a harp clutched in its beak.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutched
Verb
-
My stomach clenched with worry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Don’t leave home without a rose clenched between your teeth.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Society is gripped by disbelief, collective trauma and the aftermath of more than 30,000 deaths.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Two years after a mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally gripped the city, Reba Paul is still searching for some form of accountability for what happened to her brother.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Moroney, who sang covers, grabbed her guitar and riled up the crowd.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The woman, who is listed as a current or former girlfriend of Fleming’s, first petitioned for a court order against him in January 2025, alleging that Fleming had grabbed her by her scarf and used it to choke her, and threatened her for spreading rumors about him.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clutched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutched. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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