as in clutching
to have or keep in one's hands
clenched a tissue in his hands as he told his story of misfortune
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clenching
Verb
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Despite getting the and-one call, Stewart fell to the court, clutching at her knee.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025 -
Investing In Lifetime Relevance The winners in tomorrow’s economy won’t be those clutching diplomas from 20 years ago.—
Joseph Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His assassination comes amid fears of increasing political violence in the United States and highlights divisions gripping the country.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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Ledford is a songwriter to watch, spinning urgent, gripping tales of life’s ups and downs in the midst of a wildly colorful and psychedelic musical universe.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For every person holding the statue, there are four or five who came close and didn’t.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The extra point was good but there was a holding penalty on the Rebels.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After grabbing an early lead Friday evening, the Royals were unable to match their hosts’ prolific offense on Friday.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
13 Sep. 2025
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The owner squeezed her hands into the mix of kittens, moving the babies and grabbing the one that did not belong, which turned out to be a tiny mouse.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Clenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clenching. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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