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
The crowd of more than 100 people, many clutching drinks from the open bar, roared in approval.
—
Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Ditching the fake blood, the TV star wore a pretty pink prom dress and tiara while clutching a flower bouquet to recreate the chilling scene from the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
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
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
Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Ditching the fake blood, the TV star wore a pretty pink prom dress and tiara while clutching a flower bouquet to recreate the chilling scene from the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
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
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
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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The extra innings were gripping – the Dodgers left the bases loaded in the top of the 10th, the Blue Jays left the tying run on third in the bottom of the 11th.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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Thin, black bezels surround the edges, while the left bezel thickens to provide a space for gripping the tablet.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Jeff Bezos holding the device high.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
10 Nov. 2025
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This loss had to be especially tough for the Jayhawks, considering a controversial holding call on KU changed the momentum of the game.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The 5-11 200-pound standout has accumulated mind-boggling stats through nine games -- 1,098 rushing yards and 17 TDs while grabbing a team-leading 42 passes for 974 yards and 18 scores.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
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Nikola Jokic put up 26 points on 12 of 15 shooting, while also dishing out nine assists and grabbing nine rebounds.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clutching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutching. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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