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
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
As Menken thanked their Pocahontas music team, Schwartz clutched his golden statuette and smiled, looking down at Mel Gibson in the front row making funny faces at him and soaking in the acknowledgment from Hollywood.
—CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025
Yasser, my cousin, was clutched in my arms, trembling with emotion.
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
Even through a perilous run of Eastern Conference playoff contenders, riddled with late-game scenarios, Chicago has clutched its formula.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Knickers were twisted and pearls clutched.
—Dana O'Neil, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Bars and restaurants were already riddled with screens before everyone at the table also clutched one in their hand.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
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
As Menken thanked their Pocahontas music team, Schwartz clutched his golden statuette and smiled, looking down at Mel Gibson in the front row making funny faces at him and soaking in the acknowledgment from Hollywood.
—CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025
Yasser, my cousin, was clutched in my arms, trembling with emotion.
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
Even through a perilous run of Eastern Conference playoff contenders, riddled with late-game scenarios, Chicago has clutched its formula.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Knickers were twisted and pearls clutched.
—Dana O'Neil, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Bars and restaurants were already riddled with screens before everyone at the table also clutched one in their hand.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutched
Verb
-
Don’t leave home without a rose clenched between your teeth.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
17 Jan. 2026
-
As Rathbun and other officers retreated, Webster clenched both fists, crouched into a linebacker’s stance, and charged into Rathbun, knocking him to the ground.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mass anti-government protests triggered by deteriorating economic conditions have gripped the country, presenting the Iranian regime with its biggest challenge in years.—
Hira Humayun,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The detainees held inside one of Venezuela’s notorious prisons had not yet heard the news that had gripped their nation and much of the world for the past week.—
Samantha Schmidt,
Washington Post,
10 Jan. 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
-
Baer grabbed the arms of his chair and began to stand.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
It was rapidly removed, but an image of the listing was grabbed ahead of that.—
Andrew Williams,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clutched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutched. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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