clutching

present participle of clutch

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 clutching Hall came to our interview clutching receipts in the shape of two new labels led by the producers behind Strike and The Detection Club, along with early-stage plans for a label that will focus on digital spin-offs of existing brands. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026 Slowly, the giant claw, still clutching the sparrow, sank into the river, the tips of its pincers slipping beneath the surface with a plop. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 Dart was clutching at his knee after getting sandwiched between two Rams defenders that beat the Giants’ tackles off the edge, and while airborne, video replay showed his leg shift in an awkward way. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 Worse, following behind him was his wife, clutching their infant son, dragging along their young daughter. — Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026 One featured K-pop star Karina clutching a pair of the brand’s classic high-top black sneakers by her side and wearing a white skirt, with a star spotlight in center frame. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026 Whether these ads were meant to imply that clutching and shifting was too physical for women, too unladylike, or just too complex for the little dears is not clear. — Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 14 Sep. 2026 Roma took one last lights-and-sirens ride with Keith that day, clutching his son’s red helmet, now soiled by debris. — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026 In a satiric short video, Rabid Dogs, 2002, for example, white-collar workers dress upas rapacious canines, clutching Burberry bags in their mouths and traversing cubicles on all fours. — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutching
Verb
  • Years ago, after Jake died, my instinct as a medical student was anger — clenching my teeth and jabbing a pen into my notepad, making a line of inky holes along the margin.
    — Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Janet held the phone away from her ear, clenching her teeth against Maggie’s booming voice.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Verb
  • What happened—which can be reconstructed from messages that the agents sent one another and from traces of their own internal reasoning, known as chain-of-thought records—makes for gripping reading.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Each chapter of her life delivers gripping scenes with twists and turns, accomplishments and setbacks.
    — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • He was put into a 20-foot-by-20-foot holding cell with at least 25 other men.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • That machine set a global benchmark in January 2025 by holding plasma heated to 100 million degrees Celsius (180 million degrees Fahrenheit) for 1,066 seconds.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The catalyst was a headline-grabbing second-quarter loss of $154 million that likely sent trading algorithms to hit the sell button.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Lopez then attacked Hager, grabbing his holster, and the two men fought over the deputy’s service weapon, according to the arrest report.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Clutching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutching. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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