clutches 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of clutch
1
as in clusters
a number of things considered as a unit a clutch of medals adorned the general's chest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in groups
a usually small number of persons considered as a unit a clutch of people traveling together

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clutches

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of clutch
1
as in crises
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action a football quarterback who always comes through in the clutch

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2
as in powers
the right or means to command or control others a nation no longer living in the clutch of a cruel tyrant

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

clutches

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of clutch
as in grips
to have or keep in one's hands he clutched the eggs carefully so he wouldn't drop them

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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 clutches
Noun
Mechanical overpressure relief valves, centrifugal governors and break-away clutches all behave deterministically, even when software systems have been compromised. — Andrew Ginter, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Over the years, the duo parented several clutches of eaglets, most recently Sandy and Luna. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 Nebraska taking a five-star from the clutches of the Tigers is a different can of worms altogether. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Bag designs were more polarized, with oversize silhouettes and revivals of heritage styles juxtaposed to fantasy minaudière designs, sculptural clutches and embellished mini bags displaying brands’ craftsmanship and doubling as objects of art. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 The pair were introduced in 2022, and after three clutches that produced no viable eggs, Mommy laid her first successful clutch in November 2024. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2026 Ellis provided her chic evening clutches to roughly a dozen stars, stylish women that included Allison Janney, Jean Smart, Olivia Munn, Carrie Coon and Awkwafina. — Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026 But her time with the thoughtful gift would be short-lived, as another fan intercepted the throw and grabbed the towel from her clutches. — Alex Gonzalez, VIBE.com, 18 Sep. 2026 She’s unknowingly fallen into the clutches of a demented, powerless warlock (McLeod) bent on stealing her power for his own. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
The doctor wears a Star of David necklace and, in a pivotal scene in the show’s first season, clutches it while reciting the Shema, a central Jewish prayer, during an emotional crisis. — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026 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 In the midst of handing the job over to his son, even as Diego is making a speech about water supplies, hygiene and education, Don Alejandro snatches it back to cheers, clutches his heart and dies. — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026 In it, Marilyn clutches the pillow toward her, revealing her disarming fragility. — Michael Soncin, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026 Here, a guest clutches hers as the finishing touch to her breezy button-down, maxi skirt, and heeled flip-flops. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 3 June 2026 Lemann, like the talkative older ladies of her youth, clutches the motifs of her past like talismans. — Brandy Jensen, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2026 Martin Short clutches his laptop walking onto set for Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clutches
  1. clusters
  2. groups
  3. crises
  4. powers
  5. grips
  6. batches
  7. groupings
  8. crossroads
Noun
  • Industrial parks, logistics hubs, and technology clusters are springing up.
    — Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said earlier this month that two supercomputing clusters powered by Nvidia technologies had already been launched in the country.
    — Jenny Lee,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of clusters
Noun
  • Democratic groups are spending a lot on Turek as well, identifying his race as a top pickup opportunity in a cycle where Democrats need to net four Senate seats to retake the majority.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Marshall and Hamilton campaigns and the outside groups spending big to influence the race have attempted to define the candidates for voters in vitriolic attack ads.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of groups
Noun
  • French government bonds again sold off on growing concern that cascading political and fiscal crises would hammer the EU’s second-biggest economy and potentially ripple across the bloc.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The relationship between financial crises and imperial strategy preoccupied Marxist scholars for more than a century.
    — NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of crises
Noun
  • Seabright found that the revision made no meaningful difference because those powers could not have been delegated to Essayli in the first place.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • By leading Philip into believing Arbella was marrying the son of his ally, the Duke of Parma, Protestant England could drive a wedge between two Continental Catholic powers.
    — Eva Wolchover, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of powers
Verb
  • The Mercyenforcer grips the handle of his light in his bare hand to look into my other eye.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
  • New Orleans is facing an unusual weather combination as Tropical Storm Bertha moves along the northern Gulf Coast while dangerous heat grips the region.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Definition of grips
Noun
  • But Cuban and chief executive officer Alex Oshmyansky say their plant has the ability to quickly pivot between small batches of different drugs that could be useful for making experimental treatments for individuals or tiny groups of patients.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Remove the cassava fries from the freezer and, working in batches, carefully drop the fries into the oil.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of batches
Noun
  • In separate local elections, various independent candidates and groupings appeared to be winning most seats nationwide, a traditional result.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, of the 105 political parties and groupings qualified to participate, only 33 had successfully submitted their membership lists.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of groupings
Noun
  • Criss’ proposal to put financial limits on the Hope Scholarship program came as West Virginia public schools arrived at a dangerous crossroads.
    — Henry Culvyhouse, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But after the recent mega-sale of much of his Wynwood portfolio to hedge fund executive Ken Griffin, Mana is at a crossroads.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of crossroads

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Cite this Entry

“Clutches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clutches. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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