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
There was a scary moment in the second half when the Knights' John Bol fell to the floo r clutching his chest.
—
ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Ref Bankes initially ignored the wide-eyed protests of several Chelsea players to flash only his yellow card as Garnacho writhed, grimacing on the floor and clutching his left leg.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Govan and Zumthor, who until now has never built a building in the US, inspired years of pearl clutching in Los Angeles over the development—one art critic even earned a Pulitzer Prize for his opprobrium.
—Mark Guiducci, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
The seasonal cake that had Costco fans across the nation clutching their pearls is back.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
The mistake was dragging it out for years, stubbornly clutching a depreciating asset while better offers came and went.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
The Lord of the Rings Sauron’s Helmet Build an impressive replica of Sauron’s intimidating helmet, complete with a display stand, name plaque, and a minifigure clutching the One Ring.
—Brittany Anas, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Feb. 2026
The tiny macaque, born on July 26, is often spotted clutching a plush toy from IKEA and has melted hearts across the internet, inspiring a wave of comments from fans half-joking about booking flights to Japan to check on him.
—Joshua Mellin, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
Two years ago, Megan Selser was folding her 7-week-old infant’s clothes, clutching his fuzzy red head to her chest, when her phone rang.
—Jason Mast, STAT, 26 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Ref Bankes initially ignored the wide-eyed protests of several Chelsea players to flash only his yellow card as Garnacho writhed, grimacing on the floor and clutching his left leg.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Govan and Zumthor, who until now has never built a building in the US, inspired years of pearl clutching in Los Angeles over the development—one art critic even earned a Pulitzer Prize for his opprobrium.
—Mark Guiducci, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
The seasonal cake that had Costco fans across the nation clutching their pearls is back.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
The mistake was dragging it out for years, stubbornly clutching a depreciating asset while better offers came and went.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
The Lord of the Rings Sauron’s Helmet Build an impressive replica of Sauron’s intimidating helmet, complete with a display stand, name plaque, and a minifigure clutching the One Ring.
—Brittany Anas, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Feb. 2026
The tiny macaque, born on July 26, is often spotted clutching a plush toy from IKEA and has melted hearts across the internet, inspiring a wave of comments from fans half-joking about booking flights to Japan to check on him.
—Joshua Mellin, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
Two years ago, Megan Selser was folding her 7-week-old infant’s clothes, clutching his fuzzy red head to her chest, when her phone rang.
—Jason Mast, STAT, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutching
Verb
-
Melvin Council stood amid a crowd of his Kansas teammates, clenching a black belt in his fist.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After the brief hiatus that allowed Bayer Leverkusen to win the Bundesliga title, Bayern’s traditional dominance is gripping Germany again and in that climate, their attacking players are liable to post exceptionally good stats — but Olise’s data is off the charts.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
17 Mar. 2026
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Fans were gripping fences all Sunday morning as the sounds of racecars serenaded the tens of thousands who flocked to IndyCar’s inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sanchez dazzled over five innings, holding Korea to just two hits and a walk while striking out eight.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The news led Deadline to pose the question of whether happenstance means Cannes might struggle to add headline-grabbing movies this year, with several other blockbusters unlikely to screen there.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
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Video of that incident shows Peters grabbing the other woman and shoving her into the center of a hallway.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clutching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutching. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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