clutched

past tense of clutch

Example Sentences

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 clutched Kirk’s widow, Erika, clutched a tissue and watched intently as a person said to be Robinson ran across the roof. Hannah Schoenbaum, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026 Allowance clutched in hot hands, the neighborhood kids come together to choose among ice pops, Italian ice, and all kinds of colorful ice cream treats. Holly Lebowitz Rossi, Parents, 2 July 2026 Women clutched photographs of sons and brothers killed in the war — many of them fighting for Hezbollah — while others held photographs of Nasrallah or Iran’s Khamenei. Fadi Tawil, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 Eitan, 3, clutched a dinosaur while his older brother, Abel, 6, held a bright orange fox clad in a rainbow long-sleeve shirt. Miami Herald, 25 June 2026 And there Salah was, standing barefoot on a small podium, the Player of the Game trophy clutched between his hands. Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 22 June 2026 Hathaway clutched her belly one last time before running off camera. Hannah Malach, InStyle, 19 June 2026 The family clutched onto one another as the carriage tipped over at Cherry Hill near Bethesda Fountain, but the boy’s mother fell out. Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026 He had been sucked out of a cabin on the morning of July 4 as children clutched at his limbs. Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutched
Verb
  • At the final whistle, Mbappe clenched his fists and appeared to look the other way as Paraguay’s goalkeeper Orlando Gill sought a handshake.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • The White House Key Facts A rendering of the passport shared by the White House on Friday shows Trump presumably leaning over the Resolute Desk, fists clenched, alongside his signature and text from the Declaration of Independence.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • Heavy rain and flooding are breaking a heat wave that gripped New York City and much of the Northeast last week.
    Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • Lights had been switched off to conserve electricity amid fuel shortages that have gripped Cuba since the beginning of the year.
    Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 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
  • The victim followed the fleeing Jeep on foot and grabbed onto the vehicle when it got stuck in traffic, authorities said.
    Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
  • In September 2020, author Elin Hilderbrand grabbed a drink at the Nantucket Hotel bar with a visiting writer friend.
    Clarissa Cruz, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Clutched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutched. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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