CLASPED Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

clasped

verb

past tense of clasp

as in hugged

to put one's arms around and press tightly clasped his long-lost sister and cried without restraint

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in held

to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms clasped a crayon and began drawing

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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 clasped The new mothers clasped their babies close as a pack of teenagers ran through the park. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026 In 1975, as Cold War tensions thawed, an American commander and his Soviet counterpart clasped hands in space after their spacecraft docked. — Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026 This gadget from the comics is typically depicted as a metal collar clasped around a mutant’s neck. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026 Unlike Hernandez, all of his digits remained intact, clasped together on the table. — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 22 July 2026 But here was Bobby, sitting at Jackie’s bedside, perhaps looking at the ground, one wrist clasped in his hand. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 Shocked, audience members clasped their hands to their mouths as Gordon described how the increasing physical attacks on judges have changed their lives and affected their families. — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 11 July 2026 The study, like the seven-and-a half-foot-tall finished painting, shows King Charles head on, in a Welsh Guards uniform, with his hands clasped in front of his waist resting on a sword. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2026 As the service began, it was clasped shut. — Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clasped

Verb

The beach is the stuff of postcards and paintings, hugged by cliffs with improbably radiant aquamarine water and a giant conical rock formation right in the middle of the bay.

— Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2026
The dynamic duo giggled and hugged as curious onlookers took out their iPhones and started snapping away.

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of hugged

Verb

The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.

— Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.

— Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2025

Definition of held

Verb

Ashton Daniels, who started his career at Stanford and then appeared in four games at Auburn last season, has quickly grasped the offense, according to every testimonial delivered by teammates and FSU offensive coaches since the spring.

— Andre C. Fernandez, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026
By the Monitor's Editorial Board Five years ago this month, as the last United States forces withdrew from Afghanistan, the Taliban grasped the reins of government and have kept a tight hold on them since.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of grasped

Verb

The case has gripped television and online trial watchers after several witnesses testified that Clancy was a good and devoted mother for years before her mental health deteriorated after giving birth to her third child.

— Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
More than a month after news of the stabbings in the small college town gripped the nation, Kohberger, then a PhD student of criminology at nearby Washington State University, was arrested in his home state of Pennsylvania.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of gripped

Verb

Round 8 saw Itauma unleash a salvo of punches on Hrgović, who took them well.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
The Falcons took a lengthy look at their starters and survived a second-half push to earn a 17-12 victory over the Dolphins on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of took

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clasp

clasped

clasping

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“Clasped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clasped. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of clasped

verb

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