1
as in hugged
to put one's arms around and press tightly
clasped his long-lost sister and cried without restraint
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in held
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
clasped a crayon and began drawing
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Recent Examples of clasped
As Keyla ran around the stage in a black dress adorned with crosses, Richie and Palmer clasped their hands in excitement.
—
Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Sitting in a back room at ExtraMile Arena last weekend, Miller clasped hands with old teammate Steve Barrett, who helped pull him to his feet after an hourlong interview with the Statesman.
—Idaho Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
As the final seconds ticked down, Bishop’s senior Lotte Lightner clasped the hand of a teammate on the bench and then bounced up to cheer.
—Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Watching from the center of the oval, Ning clasped his hands in prayer during the final race.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The two young men, both 21, clasped hands and embraced.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Place your forearms on the ground, with your elbows under your shoulders and palms clasped together, forming a fist.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 5 Feb. 2026
Each had a sidearm clasped in both hands.
—Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
Upon receiving the news, courtesy of the same NBC broadcast fans watched, Wembanyama smiled and clasped his hands softly together.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Jan. 2026
Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Sitting in a back room at ExtraMile Arena last weekend, Miller clasped hands with old teammate Steve Barrett, who helped pull him to his feet after an hourlong interview with the Statesman.
—Idaho Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
As the final seconds ticked down, Bishop’s senior Lotte Lightner clasped the hand of a teammate on the bench and then bounced up to cheer.
—Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Watching from the center of the oval, Ning clasped his hands in prayer during the final race.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The two young men, both 21, clasped hands and embraced.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Place your forearms on the ground, with your elbows under your shoulders and palms clasped together, forming a fist.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 5 Feb. 2026
Each had a sidearm clasped in both hands.
—Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
Upon receiving the news, courtesy of the same NBC broadcast fans watched, Wembanyama smiled and clasped his hands softly together.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clasped
Verb
-
The couple hugged, burying their faces in each other’s shoulders.—
Justin Jouvenal,
Washington Post,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Hurley immediately threw his hands into the air in disbelief, hugged assistant coach Mike Nardi and paced the sideline with his suit jacket half off and his jaw dropped.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
When Chinese alchemists invented gunpowder in the ninth century, no one grasped the full range of its potential uses.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Finland grasped this eight years ago.—
Andrew Rasiej,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Purple-pink brittle stars still clung to the corals, their tendril-like arms wrapping around the branches like yarn.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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Atallah walked to get a clearer view of the telltale plume of smoke indicating where a bomb or missile had hit; the whole way, Mohammad clung to Atallah’s leg.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This product comes with a lifetime warranty and the handle is easily gripped.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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That's paltry for the region this time of year, echoing the broader trend of a snow drought that has gripped the rest of Arizona and much of the Western United States.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bondi took her marching orders and launched investigations of those the president named.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Idaho State troopers, who handle law enforcement duties at the Capitol, took the nine protesters into custody.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasped. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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