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Synonyms

clench

American  
[klench] / klɛntʃ /

verb (used with object)

  1. to close (the hands, teeth, etc.) tightly.

  2. to grasp firmly; grip.

    Synonyms:
    clutch, clasp

  3. clinch.

  4. clinch.

verb (used without object)

  1. to close or knot up tightly.

    His hands clenched as he faced his enemy.

noun

  1. the act of clenching.

  2. a tight hold; grip.

  3. something that clenches or holds fast.

  4. clinch.

clench British  
/ klɛntʃ /

verb

  1. to close or squeeze together (the teeth, a fist, etc) tightly

  2. to grasp or grip firmly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a firm grasp or grip

  2. a device that grasps or grips, such as a clamp

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. another word for clinch

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of clench

1200–50; Middle English clenchen; compare Old English beclencan hold fast

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

My chest clenched tight and my stomach rolled.

From Literature

I clenched my jaw as I watched the Butterfly slosh lamp oil over the dry wood of the ship.

From Literature

About 40 units are needed for the masseter muscles to help soothe teeth clenching.

From The Wall Street Journal

"One of my most frequent tics is I clench my stomach and that makes me inhale air, which means that I'm constantly bloated," Smith says.

From BBC

Fist clenched over his heart, Westlake belted out God Save the Queen with such gusto, that images were shared widely across the internet, spawning a hashtag #DoItLikeHarry.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.