as in clutching
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clenching
While not everyone experiences such dramatic effects, experts say stress, clenching and even past trauma can contribute to TMJ issues.
—
Nicole Bennett,
AJC.com,
22 May 2026
The Beloved, his first film in Competition at Cannes, is an incredible achievement that builds on all those films and leaves them standing in the dust, hitting all the same tense throat-clenching beats but somehow transcending genre altogether.
—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
In the premiere, Rue and Faye run drugs across the border, clenching their butts to hold bags of fentanyl in their digestive tract for as long as possible.
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
Protect against teeth grinding, clenching and enamel damage with custom dental solutions from ClearClub.
—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Melvin Council stood amid a crowd of his Kansas teammates, clenching a black belt in his fist.
—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Jan. 2026
Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.
—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Nicole Bennett,
AJC.com,
22 May 2026
The Beloved, his first film in Competition at Cannes, is an incredible achievement that builds on all those films and leaves them standing in the dust, hitting all the same tense throat-clenching beats but somehow transcending genre altogether.
—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
In the premiere, Rue and Faye run drugs across the border, clenching their butts to hold bags of fentanyl in their digestive tract for as long as possible.
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
Protect against teeth grinding, clenching and enamel damage with custom dental solutions from ClearClub.
—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Melvin Council stood amid a crowd of his Kansas teammates, clenching a black belt in his fist.
—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Jan. 2026
Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.
—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clenching
Verb
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People milled about clutching small rainbow flags from the human rights organization Outright International.
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The hosts discuss Sorsby as a product of both his own mistakes and opportunistic pearl clutching among college sports leaders.
Verb
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The body politic wages war against itself in Shakespeare’s tragedy, and the all-out battle makes for a gripping spectacle in Griffith Park.
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Flipping through a binder in one hand and gripping her laptop in the other, Washington simultaneously got down to business for leg day.
Verb
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The surprise delivery of the banner came in response to the national team’s gratitude after holding several practices at KU’s Rock Chalk Park during its June 8-30 stay.
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Burial postponed due to war Burials are meant to be conducted within a day of death in Islam, but because of the risks of holding a big funeral during the war it was postponed until after last month's interim truce deal was agreed.
Verb
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Americans are grabbing their passports and fleeing the country in hopes of leaving the nation’s problems behind.
-
Swanson argues those behind-the-scenes improvements have done more to modernize logistics than many of the industry’s headline-grabbing automation projects.
Cite this Entry
“Clenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clenching. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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