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
-
To take an example that would be potentially devastating to the Republicans, imagine that the Democrats took full control of the state government in Georgia.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Private equity companies would be banned from investing in youth sports teams, leagues, facilities and events under a new federal bill, a move lawmakers say would lower participation costs for families and restore control of a public good to local communities.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Data center projects are likely to migrate to parts of Europe with lower power costs, creating winners and losers across the continent, the experts said.—
April Roach,Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
Jeffers flashed his power again, hitting the go-ahead homer Sunday and finishing 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored as the Twins avoided a series sweep.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Husbands should have dominion over misbehaving wives’ weight, spending habits, and choice of television programs.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Our skepticism lingered, and by the turn of the millennium, the King of Pop’s stardom had shifted from dominion to drift.—
Steven Gray,
Time,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When the sway gets too risky, the captain closes some of the outer decks.—
Akash Kapur,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
Environmentalists and tribal governments oppose those agreements, calling them an abdication of the state’s regulatory responsibility that gives irrigation districts too much sway over how much water will be allowed to flow through rivers and estuaries amid ongoing fishery and ecological decline.—
Andrew Graham
May 12,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The club’s former boss Martin O’Neill was brought back as interim manager, before the short and chaotic reign of Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy in December and January.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
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Most Californians will recall Jerome Powell’s reign as Federal Reserve chairman as an era when life seemed largely unaffordable.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Death grip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/death%20grip. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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