as in clenching
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 clutching
Davis landed awkwardly and began clutching at his lower body.
—
Christian Clark, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2025
His groin ached as if Sister Wang had been clutching him for years.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
The video ends with Beer, eyes still filled with tears, clutching a locket in bed.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
In the photo, Manganiello is seen clutching a chihuahua as his fiancée shows off her engagement ring.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
The edit suite looks like a dorm room, full of fanboy figurines like a life-size Funko Pop of Stranger Things’ protagonist Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown) that guards the front door in her blonde wig, clutching her favorite snack, Eggo waffles.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
One sensational anecdote currently making the rounds involves one of her sons waking up to see his mother clutching a knife in his doorway.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
In the clip, Miska is surrounded by blankets, clutching a plush toy, and resting peacefully as the swing rocks gently.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
The prisoner organization posted a video on social media of Bseis being reunited with his relatives, with one woman breaking down in tears and clutching a smiling Bseis' arm.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2025
Christian Clark, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2025
His groin ached as if Sister Wang had been clutching him for years.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
The video ends with Beer, eyes still filled with tears, clutching a locket in bed.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
In the photo, Manganiello is seen clutching a chihuahua as his fiancée shows off her engagement ring.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
The edit suite looks like a dorm room, full of fanboy figurines like a life-size Funko Pop of Stranger Things’ protagonist Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown) that guards the front door in her blonde wig, clutching her favorite snack, Eggo waffles.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
One sensational anecdote currently making the rounds involves one of her sons waking up to see his mother clutching a knife in his doorway.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
In the clip, Miska is surrounded by blankets, clutching a plush toy, and resting peacefully as the swing rocks gently.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
The prisoner organization posted a video on social media of Bseis being reunited with his relatives, with one woman breaking down in tears and clutching a smiling Bseis' arm.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutching
Verb
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Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rolling Stone has the exclusive trailer, offering a sneak peek into this gripping tale of a quiet community turned upside down and put under a microscope.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
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By designing two complementary layers—a tunable optical active layer and a mechanically distinct passive layer—the team created modular actuators capable of diverse motions, from directional movement to secure object gripping.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But when Ronnie set the theater's copy of The Music Man in motion on the projector, Matty appeared on screen holding what looked like a baby swaddled in a blanket.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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In photos obtained by the outlet, the pair could be seen walking out of the theater while holding hands and smiling.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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These are especially useful for taking public transport, grabbing a quick coffee, or leaving a small tip at a restaurant.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
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Peterson led the way, scoring 26 points — 24 before halftime — and grabbing four rebounds.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clutching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutching. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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