as in clenched
to have or keep in one's hands
he clutched the eggs carefully so he wouldn't drop them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clutched
According to The Cut, Tami also impersonated Kendra for her last Halloween party, dressing as a scarecrow in a prison jumpsuit paired with a mask of her mugshot and phones clutched in its hands.
—
Jordana Comiter, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Zarutska clutched her throat and collapsed.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Every minute, every second, has to be spent with one’s device clutched in one’s hand.
—Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
Children as young as pre-K ran for cover, dove beneath pews or clutched their classmates as teachers shielded them from the barrage, acting instinctively to protect them.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
Bleary-eyed bankers, jaded journalists, and start-up founders, all one pivot away from a meltdown, clutched paper cups like life rafts.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
The story of an aging politician dealing with his own mortality — and deciding the outcome of two clemency cases in his final days in office — brought the Venice crowd to their feet as Sorrentino clutched his chest and waved to his fans inside the Sala Grande Theatre.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Seeing that marmot offshoot with his twitchy little nose and beady eyes, clutched by an obscure local bureaucrat, conjures hope for the year to come.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
The creatures are usually found hanging from phones or handbags—tiny demons haunting our accessories—or clutched as a kind of pet.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025
Jordana Comiter, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Zarutska clutched her throat and collapsed.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Every minute, every second, has to be spent with one’s device clutched in one’s hand.
—Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
Children as young as pre-K ran for cover, dove beneath pews or clutched their classmates as teachers shielded them from the barrage, acting instinctively to protect them.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
Bleary-eyed bankers, jaded journalists, and start-up founders, all one pivot away from a meltdown, clutched paper cups like life rafts.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
The story of an aging politician dealing with his own mortality — and deciding the outcome of two clemency cases in his final days in office — brought the Venice crowd to their feet as Sorrentino clutched his chest and waved to his fans inside the Sala Grande Theatre.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Seeing that marmot offshoot with his twitchy little nose and beady eyes, clutched by an obscure local bureaucrat, conjures hope for the year to come.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
The creatures are usually found hanging from phones or handbags—tiny demons haunting our accessories—or clutched as a kind of pet.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutched
Verb
-
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
-
And then there’s Eros, also known as Cupid, who flies away with his little buttocks clenched at the least hint of a rational process.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As a lead disappeared, a normally calm and collected Stafford gripped his blue and gold helmet and spiked it into the turf at Nissan Stadium.—
Nate Atkins,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
International headlines often paint Haiti as a nation gripped by crisis — from political unrest and economic hardship to uncertainty about the future and unruly crime.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
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
-
One partygoer grabbed a fragrance and practically bathed in the smokey orange accords of Rendez-Vous Ivory.—
Essence,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Natalia’s story grabbed the attention of the public in 2019 when Indiana prosecutors leveled charges against the Barnetts for allegedly neglecting a dependent.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clutched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutched. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share