clenches 1 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clenches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of clench
as in clutches
to have or keep in one's hands clenched a tissue in his hands as he told his story of misfortune

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 clenches
Verb
As the comedy progresses, its buoyant tone clenches and darkens, and the plot bends and lurches, in ways that, to me, felt unnecessarily punitive toward both Haru and the audience. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026 As the infection takes hold, a patient’s jaw clenches, forcing the face into what appears to be a wide smile, and the back muscles contort into a painful arch. — Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025 When the sky darkens, her stomach clenches. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025 In a similar way, a man who is defiant stiffens his neck, squares his shoulders, lowers his brows, and clenches his fists with his knuckles forward. — Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025 Zonal reinforcements fend off unfriendly rocks, stumps and features, and a Vibram Megagrip sole clenches all kinds of slippery, unbalanced raw ground. — New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2025 As Solène leaves, Rainbeau clenches her fists, talking herself out of hitting Solène and remembering the way disputes got resolved in her family. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clenches
  1. grips
  2. clutches
  3. grasps
  4. holds
  5. clasps
  6. grabs
Noun
  • That's pretty darn cool for people getting to grips with the latest generation of robotics programming tools and training systems.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Matching kitchen accessories, such as handle grips and trivets, can also be found in Château.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of grips
Verb
  • Anna practically clutches her pearls when asked to help the homeless.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026
  • For years, Guerin has held onto his veteran core like a grandmother clutches her third-generation pearls.
    — Michael Russo, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of clutches
Noun
  • Through universal intelligent manipulation, the robot autonomously plans grasps, adjusts force in real time, and navigates obstacles using seamless hand–eye coordination.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The Hurricanes needed that to happen after the game nearly slipped out of their grasps.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Definition of grasps
Verb
  • Two more advisers, each of whom holds the president’s trust, are also leaving the White House within weeks.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Even if El Niño’s temperature swings stayed exactly the same magnitude, its floods and droughts would still get worse in a warmer world because the hotter atmosphere holds more water vapor.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of holds
Noun
  • Additional features such as clasps and compartments can add to the weight.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Conventional versions can contain elastic bands, clasps, clips, foam and multiple synthetic textiles, complicating recycling and other end-of-life options.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of clasps
Verb
  • Before assisting Shoupe, Rafe grabs his gun, admits to killing Sheriff Peterkin and shares his regret for doing so.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Kurt's key takeaways What grabs me about this story isn’t simply the fact that a robot was involved in eye surgery.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of grabs

Browse Nearby Words

clenched
clenches
clenching
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All