as in clutched
to have or keep in one's hands
clenched a tissue in his hands as he told his story of misfortune
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Recent Examples of clenched
My stomach clenched with worry.
—
Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Don’t leave home without a rose clenched between your teeth.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
As Rathbun and other officers retreated, Webster clenched both fists, crouched into a linebacker’s stance, and charged into Rathbun, knocking him to the ground.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
My muscles, head, neck and back were clenched.
—William D. Brown, Outdoor Life, 13 Nov. 2025
To estimate 10 degrees in the sky, use the width of your clenched first held at arm's length.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
As a model named Carl, stuck in a relationship corrupted by microcelebrity and Instagram view counts, Dickinson ticks with exasperation and sarcastic logic, his jaw clenched, his eyes wide and staring.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Lalay, a 15-foot crocodile, was not amused and spent half an hour thrashing around with the man’s leg clenched in her teeth, until the park owner clocked her over the head with a block of concrete to get her to let go.
—Kassondra Cloos, Outside, 10 Sep. 2025
Yang Guoliang said, his hands clenched in fists.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Don’t leave home without a rose clenched between your teeth.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
As Rathbun and other officers retreated, Webster clenched both fists, crouched into a linebacker’s stance, and charged into Rathbun, knocking him to the ground.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
My muscles, head, neck and back were clenched.
—William D. Brown, Outdoor Life, 13 Nov. 2025
To estimate 10 degrees in the sky, use the width of your clenched first held at arm's length.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
As a model named Carl, stuck in a relationship corrupted by microcelebrity and Instagram view counts, Dickinson ticks with exasperation and sarcastic logic, his jaw clenched, his eyes wide and staring.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Lalay, a 15-foot crocodile, was not amused and spent half an hour thrashing around with the man’s leg clenched in her teeth, until the park owner clocked her over the head with a block of concrete to get her to let go.
—Kassondra Cloos, Outside, 10 Sep. 2025
Yang Guoliang said, his hands clenched in fists.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clenched
Verb
-
Alessandro clutched his dad tightly.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The pair’s snow boots tramped the nearly week-old Kansas City snow, two candles clutched in their small hands.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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 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
Cite this Entry
“Clenched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clenched. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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