clenching

verb

present participle of clench
as in clutching
to have or keep in one's hands clenched a tissue in his hands as he told his story of misfortune

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 clenching The third sits nearer the ear and detects chewing and teeth clenching. — New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026 Years ago, after Jake died, my instinct as a medical student was anger — clenching my teeth and jabbing a pen into my notepad, making a line of inky holes along the margin. — Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026 Janet held the phone away from her ear, clenching her teeth against Maggie’s booming voice. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026 His workouts, jaw-clenching pull-ups and all, regularly appear on social media. — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026 While not everyone experiences such dramatic effects, experts say stress, clenching and even past trauma can contribute to TMJ issues. — Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 22 May 2026 The Beloved, his first film in Competition at Cannes, is an incredible achievement that builds on all those films and leaves them standing in the dust, hitting all the same tense throat-clenching beats but somehow transcending genre altogether. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 May 2026 In the premiere, Rue and Faye run drugs across the border, clenching their butts to hold bags of fentanyl in their digestive tract for as long as possible. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026 Protect against teeth grinding, clenching and enamel damage with custom dental solutions from ClearClub. — Tory Johnson, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clenching
  1. clutching
  2. gripping
  3. holding
  4. grabbing
Verb
  • Those who consistently fall short are replaced by some of the dozens of applicants clutching résumés who queue up at the factory gate each morning.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Robotic claws whispered along branching tracks, clutching boxy carriers beneath them like prizes in an arcade game.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of clutching
Verb
  • And the dynamic in the candidates’ race to capture swing voters reflects the national debate gripping both parties about how moderate to be.
    — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The European Commission Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighborhood condemned the violence gripping Albania.
    — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of gripping
Verb
  • The video shows four deputies running after Garza along Interstate 10 in Palm Springs, with Garza facing the deputies several times while holding an object in his hands.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Together, the two designs support Hanwha Power’s effort to expand its electric vessel portfolio, with the larger concept now holding ABS Approval in Principle.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of holding
Verb
  • Over recent years, ambitious and headline-grabbing solutions to transportation problems have been unveiled in South Florida, from vertical jet ports to autonomous vehicles.
    — Sofia Zarran, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Bailey kicked off the Lakers’ opening night by matching her powerful voice with an equally attention-grabbing shoe.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of grabbing

Browse Nearby Words

clenches
clenching
clepe
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Cite this Entry

“Clenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clenching. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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