as in clenching
to have or keep in one's hands
he clutched the eggs carefully so he wouldn't drop them
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clutching
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
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
When Barbara Walters started interviewing celebrities on her prime time specials for ABC in the 1970s, pearl-clutching journalistic purists were aghast.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Among his favorite methods of doing so are sitting in audience members’ laps, singing along to ’80s hits, clutching a giant prop baby bottle and doing pistol squats.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2026
The bracket-clutching fans, too.
—Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 21 Mar. 2026
As Joachim Trier stood on the Dolby Theatre stage, clutching Norway’s first Academy Award, the moment marked the culmination of a decades-long national project — built patiently, deliberately and with oil money turned into cultural capital.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
There was a scary moment in the second half when the Knights' John Bol fell to the floo r clutching his chest.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Govan and Zumthor, who until now has never built a building in the US, inspired years of pearl clutching in Los Angeles over the development—one art critic even earned a Pulitzer Prize for his opprobrium.
—Mark Guiducci, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
Jenna Thompson
april 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
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
When Barbara Walters started interviewing celebrities on her prime time specials for ABC in the 1970s, pearl-clutching journalistic purists were aghast.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Among his favorite methods of doing so are sitting in audience members’ laps, singing along to ’80s hits, clutching a giant prop baby bottle and doing pistol squats.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2026
The bracket-clutching fans, too.
—Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 21 Mar. 2026
As Joachim Trier stood on the Dolby Theatre stage, clutching Norway’s first Academy Award, the moment marked the culmination of a decades-long national project — built patiently, deliberately and with oil money turned into cultural capital.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
There was a scary moment in the second half when the Knights' John Bol fell to the floo r clutching his chest.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Govan and Zumthor, who until now has never built a building in the US, inspired years of pearl clutching in Los Angeles over the development—one art critic even earned a Pulitzer Prize for his opprobrium.
—Mark Guiducci, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutching
Verb
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Protect against teeth grinding, clenching and enamel damage with custom dental solutions from ClearClub.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
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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
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
“Clutching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutching. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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