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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clutched
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
In less than a second, the ball was clutched in Grizzle’s outstretched arms before he was brought down to the turf, part blue and part orange.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 15 Oct. 2025
Women clutched children in their arms, weeping uncontrollably.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2025
Whether draped, cinched, wrapped, or clutched at the sternum, there’s no wrong way to mater this versatile piece.
—Minty Mellon, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
The twenty-one-year-old is talking on the phone, and the ten-year-old is asleep on the sofa, her iPad clutched in her hands, her mouth slightly open.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
With the Emmy engraving completed, Einbender held the trophy in one hand, clutched the hem of her one-shoulder Louis Vuitton gown and her heels with the other, and ambled into the party.
—USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
According to The Cut, Tami also impersonated Kendra for her last Halloween party, dressing as a scarecrow in a prison jumpsuit paired with a mask of her mugshot and phones clutched in its hands.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
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
In less than a second, the ball was clutched in Grizzle’s outstretched arms before he was brought down to the turf, part blue and part orange.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 15 Oct. 2025
Women clutched children in their arms, weeping uncontrollably.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2025
Whether draped, cinched, wrapped, or clutched at the sternum, there’s no wrong way to mater this versatile piece.
—Minty Mellon, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
The twenty-one-year-old is talking on the phone, and the ten-year-old is asleep on the sofa, her iPad clutched in her hands, her mouth slightly open.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
With the Emmy engraving completed, Einbender held the trophy in one hand, clutched the hem of her one-shoulder Louis Vuitton gown and her heels with the other, and ambled into the party.
—USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
According to The Cut, Tami also impersonated Kendra for her last Halloween party, dressing as a scarecrow in a prison jumpsuit paired with a mask of her mugshot and phones clutched in its hands.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutched
Verb
-
Vande Kolk clenched his teeth to avoid crying.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Her purplish hands remained clenched on her chest.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Canada was gripped by the World Series last month and early in November as the Blue Jays, the country’s only MLB team, came agonizingly close to upsetting the Dodgers juggernaut.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The raccoon, who had wrapped both paws around the cone and whose legs gripped the bottom of the cone, eventually slipped off and fell back into the water, just as DeLeo got close to pulling him to safety.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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
-
Shakarna grabbed her medication and headed to try to reach her, fearing for her life.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
But like de Blasio did 12 years earlier, Mamdani identified the growing crisis of unaffordability as the city's most pressing problem and grabbed attention − especially from the young and online − by promising to address it.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clutched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutched. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
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