as in control
the right or means to command or control others
the cult leader had such a death grip on his followers that all orders were carried out without the slightest objection
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Recent Examples of death grip
Across genres and styles, new books must maintain a death grip on the reader’s attention, fearful of losing it to the many readily accessible distractions lying at most one foot from the book itself.
—
Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
Detachment creates attachment The death grip on your goals is what's killing them.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Next, scientists will need to examine Cretaceous leaves for evidence of death grips to see if the prehistoric fungi had evolved to manipulate insects’ behavior during this time, says Jarzembowski in the statement.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
After further assessment and some discussion, the team focused on the quad, which evidently had a death grip on Tichyque’s femur.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for death grip
Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
Detachment creates attachment The death grip on your goals is what's killing them.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Next, scientists will need to examine Cretaceous leaves for evidence of death grips to see if the prehistoric fungi had evolved to manipulate insects’ behavior during this time, says Jarzembowski in the statement.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
After further assessment and some discussion, the team focused on the quad, which evidently had a death grip on Tichyque’s femur.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for death grip
Recent Examples of Synonyms for death grip
Noun
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Moving the Department of Education under the governor’s control just gives even more power to the same Sacramento insiders who have turned our schools into some of the worst in the country.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
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As Polis has discovered, firm Democratic control doesn’t translate into a unified vision for the state.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Once fierce rivals, the two men were responsible for the country’s first peaceful transfer of power between parties, after Jefferson and his Democratic-Republican Party defeated Adams and the Federalists in the election of 1800.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Meanwhile, the Marlins are sending catcher Agustin Ramirez to Triple-A after an uneven first five weeks in which his power declined, his defense remained poor and base running errors frustrated the team.—
Barry Jackson,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Noun
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This was clearly outside the purview of the colonizer, who saw land as a resource held under his dominion.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
22 Apr. 2026
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For China, bringing Taiwan under its dominion would break through that barrier and expand its military reach.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the bills didn’t have support from law enforcement, which wields significant sway in the Capitol.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
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No judges, no editorial sway, just the crowd’s consensus.—
Wendy Naugle,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Sears Tower ended the Empire State Building’s four-decade reign as the world’s tallest and transformed the West Loop into a glittering office corridor.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
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The reign of Queen Elizabeth II lasted a decade longer than the guarantor of democracy in America.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Death grip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/death%20grip. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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