as in clenching
to have or keep in one's hands
he clutched the eggs carefully so he wouldn't drop them
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clutching
Flagg went down clutching his left knee.
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Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
After the injury, Jokic could be seen on the floor clutching his knee.
—Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
One photo showed Lambert clutching the dog in the press room at the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM), while another showed the pooch outside on a sunny day.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
Parents check their phones, stretch, read, and gossip, clutching hot Dunkin’ cups in their hands.
—Blair Braverman, Outside, 22 Dec. 2025
There are so many screaming, ecstatic adults, from recent grads to those clutching walkers and canes, that whatever feelings you might be gripped by in the moment—grief for the end of your college years, terror of the unknown—are blasted away, replaced by a pure and stunning kind of joy.
—Lucy Feldman, Time, 17 Dec. 2025
Davis landed awkwardly and began clutching at his lower body.
—Christian Clark, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2025
His groin ached as if Sister Wang had been clutching him for years.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
In the photo, Manganiello is seen clutching a chihuahua as his fiancée shows off her engagement ring.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutching
Verb
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Wole faced fixedly forward, both fists clenching the steering wheel.—
Verb
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The simple and elegant dress was made to have a fluid silhouette that skimmed her body rather than tightly gripping it, letting the neckline do most of the talking.—
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In one of the larger fraud cases gripping the Land of 10,000 Lakes, the Feeding Our Future scheme cost taxpayers nearly $250 million, after the program's director approved nonexistent meal services going to poor people.—
Verb
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Jeff Bezos holding the device high.—
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This loss had to be especially tough for the Jayhawks, considering a controversial holding call on KU changed the momentum of the game.—
Verb
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Take after the actress by grabbing them in black, or choose from six additional colors, including burgundy and deep brown.—
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Healthy cooking often boils down to accessibility and convenience; busy lives can leave people grabbing less nutritious alternatives.—
Cite this Entry
“Clutching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutching. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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