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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Recent Examples of clenching
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
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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Dozens of women in hijabs and men in clutching paper cups stood inside Turath Coffee, 9916 College Blvd.—
Jenna Thompson
April 1,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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After a January morning skate at the San Jose Sharks practice facility, dozens of bustling young fans — clutching hockey cards, action shots, team jerseys and hats — crowded near an exit, hoping for a brief interaction.—
Dan Robson,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The audio tour, narrated by former guards and inmates, is genuinely gripping for older kids.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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When Georgia Tech baseball coach James Ramsey came to watch Vahn Lackey play as a senior at Collins Hill, Lackey wasn’t gripping the bat correctly.—
Sarah Spencer,
AJC.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Surveillance footage showed Angel-Martinez, Castillo and Pineda getting out of their vehicle wearing masks and holding guns, according to court documents.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Apr. 2026
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The Huskies were also dominated on the glass, with South Carolina holding a 47-32 advantage.—
David Brandt,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kyla Oldacre led Texas with 11 points off the bench while grabbing seven rebounds.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
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The victim listed in the police records later told police about two incidents of physical assault, including grabbing, scratching, shoving and striking, according to the documents.—
Meriam Bouarrouj,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clenching. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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