clench

verb

clenched; clenching; clenches

transitive verb

1
2
: to hold fast : clutch
clenched the arms of the chair
3
: to set or close tightly
clench one's teeth
clench one's fists
clench noun

Examples of clench in a Sentence

He clenched his teeth and continued to look straight ahead. He clenched his fists in anger. She was angry and spoke quietly through clenched teeth. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he listened to the speech. She danced alone, with a rose clenched in her teeth. He was clenching a cigarette in his teeth.
Recent Examples on the Web Defensively, Roach was brought in with John Franklin-Myers to pair with Zach Allen and D.J. Jones to clench Denver’s fist. Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 31 July 2024 Harris made it all but official on Friday after clenching enough votes from Democratic delegates during a virtual roll call to win the party’s nomination. Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 5 Aug. 2024 Teamwork made golden dreams come true for The US Women’s Basketball and Soccer teams, as both clenched Gold medals just as the games were coming to a close. Rivea Ruff, Essence, 12 Aug. 2024 The federal government cautions that use can cause confusion, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness and paranoia, as well as physical symptoms such as muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, sweating or chills. Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clench 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clench.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English -clencan; akin to Old English clingan to cling

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clench was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near clench

Cite this Entry

“Clench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clench. Accessed 30 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

clench

verb
1
: to hold fast : clutch
2
: to set or close tightly
clench one's teeth
clench one's fist

More from Merriam-Webster on clench

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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