CLUTCHES Synonyms: 222 Similar and Opposite Words

clutches 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of clutch

as in clusters

a number of things considered as a unit a clutch of medals adorned the general's chest

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as in groups

a usually small number of persons considered as a unit a clutch of people traveling together

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clutches

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of clutch

as in crises

a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action a football quarterback who always comes through in the clutch

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as in powers

the right or means to command or control others a nation no longer living in the clutch of a cruel tyrant

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clutches

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of clutch

as in grips

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

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

The brand has also slowly expanded its offering to include leather totes, clutches and ties, as well as unisex jewelry. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 20 July 2026 Cyclops Odysseus’s wittiest ploy in Homer’s tale concerns him and his men’s escape from the clutches of Polyphemus, the giant cyclops (and son of Poseidon). — Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 July 2026 Once upon a time, clutches were restricted to evening use, but recent seasons have changed that mindset. — Alice Cary, Vogue, 13 July 2026 Determined to extricate his family from their clutches, Eddie tries to play the gangsters at their own game. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 July 2026 Between cleverly convertible shoulder bags and elegant clutches, there’s a pick for every outfit and occasion this summer. — Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2026 In the film, which was based on a Pulitzer Prize nominated memoir, Betty escapes the clutches of her barbaric Iranian husband (played by Alfred Molina) and courageously smuggles herself and her daughter out of Iran. — Literary Hub, 29 June 2026 The patented system includes a rotary power source (typically an internal combustion engine), a generator-motor, a differential connected to the drive wheels, and multiple shafts and clutches that control how power flows through the vehicle. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 28 June 2026 Toph escapes the clutches of her mother — who poisoned and kidnapped her — by revealing her earthbending powers, breaking out of the metal cage to rejoin Team Avatar. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Verb

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 On the plane, Dick clutches the slingshot and begins sweating and muttering to himself before becoming unresponsive. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutches

Noun

Biren said the approach could enable clusters with up to 1,024 AI accelerator cards, significantly expanding the scale of computing systems needed to support increasingly demanding AI workloads.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
In 2022, Greenpeace’s investigative journalism arm, Unearthed, found the charred remnants of footwear and clothing from Clarks, Diesel, Michael Kors, Next, Nike, Ralph Lauren and Reebok at five brick kiln clusters.

— Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 17 July 2026

Definition of clusters

Noun

The European Union has banned AI that encourages dangerous behavior in vulnerable groups like children, and mandated transparency requirements for other chatbots.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
As noted by Beard, this board was built with a deliberateness and purpose to ensure that the women had the runway to impact decision-making, advise the athletes, and construct the next basketball league alongside the co-founder groups.

— Allison Smith, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of groups

Noun

In April, Google announced updates to its AI chatbot Gemini to detect potential mental health crises and direct users to hotline resources.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
The reshuffle comes after almost a week of nationwide unrest and represents one of the biggest political crises since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 July 2026

Definition of crises

Noun

These muni bonds need to be bought, so the powers-that-be will make phone calls to their contacts in Bondland to buy up these 6% coupons.

— Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
In recent years, the exercise has grown to include scenarios that focus on competition with other major military powers.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026

Definition of powers

Verb

Your makeup will only look as good as your base, and the hydrating formula leaves a beautiful, glowy canvas that grips onto foundation and prevents makeup from settling into fine lines.

— Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 8 July 2026
This Laura Geller hydrating primer creates a silky-smooth canvas that grips your foundation for all-day wear.

— Madeline Merinuk, PEOPLE, 20 June 2026

Definition of grips

Noun

Much like running a dishwasher, running one large load uses less energy and water than running several smaller ones—even if your machine has a setting for smaller batches.

— Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026
The company scrambled to placate the brands with new demonetization policies, stripping ads from huge batches of videos.

— Claire Stapleton, New Yorker, 18 July 2026

Definition of batches

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“Clutches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutches. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of clutches

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb

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