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
Tatum clutched his ankle and writhed in agony on the hardwood of Madison Square Garden before being wheeled to the locker room, head in hands.
—
Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 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
Zarutska clutched her throat and collapsed.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Every minute, every second, has to be spent with one’s device clutched in one’s hand.
—Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
The story of an aging politician dealing with his own mortality — and deciding the outcome of two clemency cases in his final days in office — brought the Venice crowd to their feet as Sorrentino clutched his chest and waved to his fans inside the Sala Grande Theatre.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Seeing that marmot offshoot with his twitchy little nose and beady eyes, clutched by an obscure local bureaucrat, conjures hope for the year to come.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 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
Zarutska clutched her throat and collapsed.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Every minute, every second, has to be spent with one’s device clutched in one’s hand.
—Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
The story of an aging politician dealing with his own mortality — and deciding the outcome of two clemency cases in his final days in office — brought the Venice crowd to their feet as Sorrentino clutched his chest and waved to his fans inside the Sala Grande Theatre.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Seeing that marmot offshoot with his twitchy little nose and beady eyes, clutched by an obscure local bureaucrat, conjures hope for the year to come.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutched
Verb
-
Lalay, a 15-foot crocodile, was not amused and spent half an hour thrashing around with the man’s leg clenched in her teeth, until the park owner clocked her over the head with a block of concrete to get her to let go.—
Kassondra Cloos,
Outside,
10 Sep. 2025
-
And then there’s Eros, also known as Cupid, who flies away with his little buttocks clenched at the least hint of a rational process.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Starmer gripped the American President close, anyhow.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Days after a criminal gang stormed this rural village in Haiti’s northwest, setting fire to the local police substation and looting homes, residents remain gripped by fear amid concerns that the violence isn’t over.—
Ychmuth Corneille,
Miami Herald,
21 Sep. 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
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In front of reporters, the agent grabbed the crying woman by the arms before shoving her to the wall and then downward.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
-
According to the complaint filed by detectives, Dials grabbed a handgun that belonged to Sean Perrin, 31, off the bedroom floor, placing it between the mattress and the wall before the two went to bed, the Dispatch reported.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clutched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutched. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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