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
For the first time in a long time the Sweden striker, clutching the man-of-the-match trophy after his team’s 5-1 victory over Tunisia, could reflect on a job well done.
—
Andy Jones, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Stunned by the image, Charlie is overwhelmed by memories and guilt, and begins clutching his chest in an apparent heart attack.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2026
Seconds later, the same officer — now with his gun holstered — is captured on the camera crouching and clutching his left shoulder in pain.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 11 June 2026
Erica Sims, an attendee from Missouri, told me, clutching her tote as though that right was tucked inside it.
—Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
Bounding out of the room, Shaboozey returns clutching his Grammy trophy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
Eriksen, who five years ago suffered a cardiac arrest on the field at Euro 2020, was seen clutching his chest before falling to the floor during the Denmark’s international friendly.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Moments later, Hadgkiss was emerging onto the street clutching a slash wound on his neck and desperate for help.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
Caiceo rolled around, clutching his leg in pain, as staff members ran up to tend to him.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Andy Jones, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Stunned by the image, Charlie is overwhelmed by memories and guilt, and begins clutching his chest in an apparent heart attack.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2026
Seconds later, the same officer — now with his gun holstered — is captured on the camera crouching and clutching his left shoulder in pain.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 11 June 2026
Erica Sims, an attendee from Missouri, told me, clutching her tote as though that right was tucked inside it.
—Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
Bounding out of the room, Shaboozey returns clutching his Grammy trophy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
Eriksen, who five years ago suffered a cardiac arrest on the field at Euro 2020, was seen clutching his chest before falling to the floor during the Denmark’s international friendly.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Moments later, Hadgkiss was emerging onto the street clutching a slash wound on his neck and desperate for help.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
Caiceo rolled around, clutching his leg in pain, as staff members ran up to tend to him.
—Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 1 June 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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In the shadow of Tennessee’s Signal and Lookout mountains, 8-year-old Beckham has been balancing on a fence for more than three hours, gripping a handwritten note and waiting for Spain’s national team to emerge.—
Leah Willingham,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
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Once the age checks were done, the opening bars to the FIFA anthem crackled through the stadium speakers, and the players filed onto the field, gripping the hands of the young local players escorting them.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
NPR,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Canada is now tied with Switzerland atop Group B, with both teams holding four points after two matches.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
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There are also the remnants of a statue thought to be of Silvanus, the Roman god of the countryside, holding a small animal in one hand and a basket adorned with birds in another.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Farage, Reform’s attention-grabbing but divisive leader, was a curiously low-key presence.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
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With that in mind, if the Pacers want to acquire a draft pick, following their past and grabbing one in the 30s makes good sense.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clutching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutching. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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