clutches 1 of 3

plural of clutch

clutches

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of clutch

clutches

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular 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 clutches
Noun
Ellis provided her chic evening clutches to roughly a dozen stars, stylish women that included Allison Janney, Jean Smart, Olivia Munn, Carrie Coon and Awkwafina. — Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026 But her time with the thoughtful gift would be short-lived, as another fan intercepted the throw and grabbed the towel from her clutches. — Alex Gonzalez, VIBE.com, 18 Sep. 2026 This includes high rates of females not laying clutches, low provisioning rates, emaciated chicks with stunted development and other factors. — Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026 She’s unknowingly fallen into the clutches of a demented, powerless warlock (McLeod) bent on stealing her power for his own. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026 From feathery clutches to frilly brooches, fashion week guests are using the playful texture to give their looks an unexpected pop. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 10 Sep. 2026 Smith, too, struggled to escape the clutches of a Burnley defence that saw Hjalmar Ekdal replace the tiring Igor midway through the second half. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Researchers have warned for years that rogue AI models could one day become powerful enough to escape the clutches of their human overlords. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 9 Sep. 2026 The clutches of eggs represent the highest-latitude nesting environment known for sauropods worldwide, the study said, and the southernmost definitive evidence of dinosaur eggs. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
Anna practically clutches her pearls when asked to help the homeless. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026 For years, Guerin has held onto his veteran core like a grandmother clutches her third-generation pearls. — Michael Russo, New York Times, 2 July 2026 In the midst of handing the job over to his son, even as Diego is making a speech about water supplies, hygiene and education, Don Alejandro snatches it back to cheers, clutches his heart and dies. — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026 In it, Marilyn clutches the pillow toward her, revealing her disarming fragility. — Michael Soncin, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026 Here, a guest clutches hers as the finishing touch to her breezy button-down, maxi skirt, and heeled flip-flops. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 3 June 2026 Lemann, like the talkative older ladies of her youth, clutches the motifs of her past like talismans. — Brandy Jensen, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2026 Martin Short clutches his laptop walking onto set for Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026 Mispelys Salazar clutches a stack of papers close to her chest as bristling wind gusts threaten to send them flying into the air. — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutches
Noun
  • Robby stayed home, measuring the time between clusters of seizures in video games and cartoons.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Huddleston notes that first-year growth stays low to the ground as a leafy rosette, whereas in the second year, poison hemlock can reach up to 10 feet in height and is often found in large clusters.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Ahead of Wednesday's hearing, an amicus brief was filed by other news groups, urging the court to immediately restore the three outlets' White House access.
    — JOCELYN NOVECK, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The two groups are already collaborating on projects with the goal of building a slate of projects that are connected with brand partners from the very start.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In past crises, these mediators had little of their own physical infrastructure or revenue on the line.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The latter is striking, given that the novel takes place between two financial crises that worsen economic inequality.
    — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • After finishing third in district behind 4A powers Decatur and Springtown last season, the Highlanders won a playoff game for the first time since 1999.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Then, in March this year, the regime passed a new passport law, giving itself broad powers to cancel or reject passport applications if the applicant is deemed a threat to national security, among other reasons.
    — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Mercyenforcer grips the handle of his light in his bare hand to look into my other eye.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
  • New Orleans is facing an unusual weather combination as Tropical Storm Bertha moves along the northern Gulf Coast while dangerous heat grips the region.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Noun
  • Starship has carried small batches of V3 Starlinks on previous launches, but those missions’ suborbital trajectories meant the satellites burned up in Earth’s atmosphere rather than remaining in orbit.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The contract also includes options for additional batches in the coming years.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • My groupings range from sterling silver flatware to matchbooks, but my most prized grouping is my trove of fine art.
    — Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Only 28 of the 105 political parties and groupings approved by the Provisional Electoral Council to contest elections for president, Parliament and local posts, had reached the threshold of registering 30,000 members.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • America is at a critical crossroads for the type of future in store beyond issues of affordability, groceries and gas prices due to global conflicts.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In January of 2024, at a crossroads of an already long and accomplished professional baseball career, Chris Sale was willing to try something — anything — new.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clutches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutches. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!