clench 1 of 2

as in grip
the act or manner of holding fearful that his suitcase might be stolen, he never once relaxed his clench on the handle

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clench

2 of 2

verb

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 clench
Verb
Moments after an emphatic two-handed jam in the closing seconds that sealed Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s 68-61 upset of Harvard-Westlake on Friday night in Studio City, Tyran Stokes clenched both fists, turned toward his teammates and screamed at the top of his lungs. Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025 Manchester City striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw clenched her right fist and raised her arm into the air. Caoimhe O'Neill, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025 Esposito, an old-time machine boss with a cigar perpetually clenched between his teeth, doling out threats, promises, and patronage, was the sort of leader Trump hoped to encounter in Washington and to become himself. John Ganz, airmail.news, 8 Feb. 2025 The hollow tubes are just the right diameter for a baby to clench a fist around, and come in strawberry-apple and banana flavors. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 2 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clench
Noun
  • The three main causes of hydroplaning are: Vehicle speed - When a vehicle's speed increases, the tire-traction grip and ability to control the vehicle decreases.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 11 Mar. 2025
  • That sort of thing has become all too familiar as gangs tighten their grip on the capital, Port-au-Prince.
    Linnea Fehrm, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Cowboys in the past have been known for putting up brutal showings in the biggest moments, so adding someone seemingly clutch like Golden would also make a lot of sense.
    Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
  • It’s medically clutch to catch a disease like AD early on—immediate medications can slow progression across a patient’s brain.
    Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • That, as the 25-year-old acknowledged, was partly due to McLaren let a number of races slip through its grasp from winning positions.
    Dan Cancian, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Coach Nuno Espirito Santo’s men’s side are through to the FA Cup quarter-finals later this month and have Champions League qualification for next season within their grasp.
    Megan Feringa, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The record was previously held by Portland’s Olivia Moultrie whose lawsuit against the NWSL resulted in the lowering of the league’s minimum age requirement and paved the way for U-18 players like Whitham.
    Julia Andersen, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Without granular insight, teams are unable to identify inefficiencies or hold stakeholders accountable for excessive usage.
    Ben Ofiri, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • He’s minimized the walks, partly due to his willingness to use his curveball early in counts for strikes to get ahead and grab count leverage.
    Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • To help balance his budget, the governor wants to grab roughly $300 million from the $10 billion climate bond approved overwhelmingly by voters in November.
    George Skelton, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Clench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clench. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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