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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Recent Examples of clutching
Being middle class comes with a fear of losing a specific sense of safety; the existential quest is finding out if there’s more to life than clutching onto your stuff in anticipatory panic.
—
Francesco Pacifico, The Dial, 12 May 2026
Reds closer Emilio Pagán came in to start the ninth and fell to the ground clutching his left hamstring after throwing one pitch to Nico Hoerner.
—CBS News, 6 May 2026
There has been a lot of pearl-clutching concern among both liberals and conservatives about New York City’s future — and the nation’s — with socialist Mayor Mamdani.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
Morales is seen in surveillance video clutching at Pulido’s sweater a couple of times with Pulido brushing his hand away before Morales returns and the beating and kicking commences.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Steinem entered the quietly buzzing room wearing all black and clutching a wooden cane painted with blue and pink birds in her right hand.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 22 Apr. 2026
Such desperate attempts at grandiosity evoke empty vanity, clutching at physical monuments to prove a greatness that history has not yet conferred.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
The actress posed in a field of flowers while clutching her bare chest.
—Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Bednar could then be seen bending over and clutching the side of his head.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
Francesco Pacifico, The Dial, 12 May 2026
Reds closer Emilio Pagán came in to start the ninth and fell to the ground clutching his left hamstring after throwing one pitch to Nico Hoerner.
—CBS News, 6 May 2026
There has been a lot of pearl-clutching concern among both liberals and conservatives about New York City’s future — and the nation’s — with socialist Mayor Mamdani.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
Morales is seen in surveillance video clutching at Pulido’s sweater a couple of times with Pulido brushing his hand away before Morales returns and the beating and kicking commences.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Steinem entered the quietly buzzing room wearing all black and clutching a wooden cane painted with blue and pink birds in her right hand.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 22 Apr. 2026
Such desperate attempts at grandiosity evoke empty vanity, clutching at physical monuments to prove a greatness that history has not yet conferred.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
The actress posed in a field of flowers while clutching her bare chest.
—Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Bednar could then be seen bending over and clutching the side of his head.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutching
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Throughout the gripping family drama, starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as evangelical religious figures and parents of five who get caught in a nightmare with Norwegian Child Services, the rapt audience in the Grand Théâtre Lumière barely made a sound.—
Jada Yuan,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2026
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The authors found distinctive puncture marks, skeletal damage and dismemberment patterns, all of which were consistent with an apex predator that immobilizes prey through concentrated gripping force, rather than prolonged tearing or chewing.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Tennis champion Rafael Nadal is holding court about his upcoming Netflix documentary series.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
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In an interview with Willamette Week, Doran likened Visible Cloaks’ approach to Brian Eno’s concept of ambient music being both ignorable and interesting, holding one’s attention by not holding it at all.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors have theorized that after Mackenzie sped up the car, Dominic and Davion could have tried to stop the crash by grabbing the wheel or gear shift.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
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Consider grabbing a set of packing cubes, which are great for packing for vacation and storing and organizing items at home.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clutching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutching. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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