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
Marie-Paule had straight blond hair, cut in a bob with a clip on one side, and was clutching a miniature schoolbag.
—
Annie Ernaux, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Martin, clutching a gun in his left hand, pulled the weapon behind his left leg.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
Madueke departed 10 minutes from time clutching at a sore hamstring.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 25 May 2026
After calling out comics Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe for some of their jokes at Kevin Hart’s Netflix roast, Chelsea Handler is now facing her own backlash for clutching her pearls over the offensive humor.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
The mourners started arriving hours early — veterans in uniform, strangers clutching American flags, police officers lining the route — all for a Massachusetts World War II Navy veteran many feared would be buried alone.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2026
David Letterman and Stephen Colbert stood on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, wearing suits and clutching watermelons to their chests.
—Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 19 May 2026
Others lingered near the bar, clutching cocktails and scanning the room before finally introducing themselves to strangers.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2026
The broadcast ended on a shot of us clutching a Cuban flag that our coach, Máximo García, a legend of Cuban baseball, ran to bring us.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
Annie Ernaux, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Martin, clutching a gun in his left hand, pulled the weapon behind his left leg.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
Madueke departed 10 minutes from time clutching at a sore hamstring.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 25 May 2026
After calling out comics Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe for some of their jokes at Kevin Hart’s Netflix roast, Chelsea Handler is now facing her own backlash for clutching her pearls over the offensive humor.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
The mourners started arriving hours early — veterans in uniform, strangers clutching American flags, police officers lining the route — all for a Massachusetts World War II Navy veteran many feared would be buried alone.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2026
David Letterman and Stephen Colbert stood on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, wearing suits and clutching watermelons to their chests.
—Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 19 May 2026
Others lingered near the bar, clutching cocktails and scanning the room before finally introducing themselves to strangers.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2026
The broadcast ended on a shot of us clutching a Cuban flag that our coach, Máximo García, a legend of Cuban baseball, ran to bring us.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutching
Verb
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While not everyone experiences such dramatic effects, experts say stress, clenching and even past trauma can contribute to TMJ issues.—
Nicole Bennett,
AJC.com,
22 May 2026
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The Beloved, his first film in Competition at Cannes, is an incredible achievement that builds on all those films and leaves them standing in the dust, hitting all the same tense throat-clenching beats but somehow transcending genre altogether.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The strapless neckline stays in place thanks to the elastic gripping tape along the bust.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2026
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Footage released by Xinhua shows humanoid robots gripping parcels from containers and placing them onto sorting lines, while autonomous forklifts transport loads through the warehouse floor.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The National Federation of Independent Business has warned that small businesses and consumers who rely on energy, rather than oil giants, will end up holding the bag.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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Ahead of the endorsement vote, Klobuchar supporters holding batons with flashing green lights dominated the convention floor.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The best know how to play through grabbing or shoving of various degrees.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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Wembanyama finished Game 6 with 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clutching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutching. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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