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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clasped
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
When Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced him, Combs had his head lowered, with his shoulders hunched and his hands clasped.
—Sarah Jones, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Gilberg considered the question, hands clasped beneath his chin, the traffic outside humming expectantly.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Smith sits poised, contemplative, his hands clasped together.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
The Melania meme showed a closeup of her face with her hands clasped in front, as if in ebullient prayer.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
Elderly neighbors clasped hands and whispered prayers of thanks.
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
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
When Judge Arun Subramanian sentenced him, Combs had his head lowered, with his shoulders hunched and his hands clasped.
—Sarah Jones, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Gilberg considered the question, hands clasped beneath his chin, the traffic outside humming expectantly.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Smith sits poised, contemplative, his hands clasped together.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
The Melania meme showed a closeup of her face with her hands clasped in front, as if in ebullient prayer.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
Elderly neighbors clasped hands and whispered prayers of thanks.
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clasped
Verb
-
Hudson turned heads at the The Beverly Hilton red carpet in her off-the-shoulder Erdem silk gown, which hugged her body through the knee and featured an unexpected distressed accent with a raw seam on her neckline and visible stitching on the frayed hem.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Bowe hugged her coaches before disappearing off the ice.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Whether Assad grasped this is impossible to know.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
And on top of it all, a social platform has merged where the AI agents can gather to compare notes, with implications that have yet to be fully grasped.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Passengers in front and behind us whispered, a few stood up, and some clung to the bars and handles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Though Wisconsin can't claim the first one (New York City and London vie for that accolade), the Badger State has clung to the tradition most wholeheartedly.—
Ron Faiola,
Midwest Living,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The leadership change comes as the country remains gripped by gang violence, with armed groups controlling large swaths of Port-au-Prince.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Her baffling disappearance has gripped the nation, leading many Americans to question how an octogenarian leading a sleepy life in the Southwest was taken while her neighbors were asleep.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The protesters took a violent turn at several points during that week.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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In total, the design process took three years to complete with collaboration from several researchers and engineers.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasped. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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