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
In her post, Audrey and her little one can be seen snuggling up together, with her baby boy clutching her finger.
—
Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Ginsberg took the stage, clutching his typewritten pages.
—Gerard Degroot, Air Mail, 27 Sep. 2025
The most eye-catching display, reaching upward to the conference-hall ceiling, was for Direct Bullion, a gold dealer, decorated with pictures of Farage clutching a gold coin.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
Chargers athletic trainers raced from the sideline to tend to Mack, who then ran from the field clutching his left arm.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
Despite getting the and-one call, Stewart fell to the court, clutching at her knee.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Investing In Lifetime Relevance The winners in tomorrow’s economy won’t be those clutching diplomas from 20 years ago.
—Joseph Coughlin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
In another Instagram post on her account on July 6, Kylie could be seen clutching a White Birkin Faubourg House Alligator Bag, which can fetch anywhere from $200,000 to $300,000, according to Sotheby's.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Goodness, that was difficult to type with one hand clutching our pearls.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 12 Sep. 2025
Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Ginsberg took the stage, clutching his typewritten pages.
—Gerard Degroot, Air Mail, 27 Sep. 2025
The most eye-catching display, reaching upward to the conference-hall ceiling, was for Direct Bullion, a gold dealer, decorated with pictures of Farage clutching a gold coin.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
Chargers athletic trainers raced from the sideline to tend to Mack, who then ran from the field clutching his left arm.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
Despite getting the and-one call, Stewart fell to the court, clutching at her knee.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Investing In Lifetime Relevance The winners in tomorrow’s economy won’t be those clutching diplomas from 20 years ago.
—Joseph Coughlin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
In another Instagram post on her account on July 6, Kylie could be seen clutching a White Birkin Faubourg House Alligator Bag, which can fetch anywhere from $200,000 to $300,000, according to Sotheby's.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Goodness, that was difficult to type with one hand clutching our pearls.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutching
Verb
-
Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
It’s measured by gripping a handheld dynamometer.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The satire on higher education is rich, yet the larger themes about one’s purpose and ideas are gripping.—
AudioFile Magazine
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Almost as a cry for help, just holding onto her last bit of identity and not having a lot of time to do things on her own time.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
In case that wasn't enough of a wink from the show's creators, there's a scene in the finale where the head nurse at the institution holding Gein advises him to write a book, noting that so many other people have taken liberties with his story.—
JR Radcliffe,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Securing the Shield ensures the top seed for Philly and home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup playoffs for a team that has quietly gone about a consistent season without grabbing much in the way of attention.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Without strangers lunging at her and grabbing her forearm.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clutching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutching. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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