clench
verb
\ ˈklench
\
\
clenched;
clenching;
clenches
Definition of clench
1
: clinch sense 2
2
: to hold fast : clutch
clenched the arms of the chair
3
: to set or close tightly
clench one's teeth clench one's fists
Keep scrolling for more
Examples of clench in a Sentence
He clenched his teeth and continued to look straight ahead.
He clenched his fists in anger.
She was angry and spoke quietly through clenched teeth.
His jaw clenched and unclenched as he listened to the speech.
She danced alone, with a rose clenched in her teeth.
He was clenching a cigarette in his teeth.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
My stomach clenches at the thought of being in a room with him and like-minded members of the family. — Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, "Ask Amy: I hate their politics. Do I have to go to the wedding?," 3 Sep. 2019 My stomach clenches at the thought of being in a room with him and like-minded members of the family. — Amy Dickinson, The Denver Post, "Ask Amy: Aspiring lawyer rests his case," 3 Sep. 2019 My stomach clenches at the thought of being in a room with him and like-minded members of the family. — Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, "Aspiring lawyer rests his case," 3 Sep. 2019 At the end of it all, Miguel clenched a thick stack of papers from Oregon universities and community colleges. — oregonlive.com, "Children of Oregon’s migrant workers: hungry to learn, unsure of their future," 12 Aug. 2019 Tabares eventually complied, turned to face Esparza, clenched his fists, began speaking loudly and moved toward the officer, according to the records. — Priscella Vega, Daily Pilot, "Federal judge upholds Huntington Beach officer’s use of deadly force in 2017 shooting," 31 July 2019 Don’t misunderstand, the familiar Tarantino gut-clenching ultra-violence, especially against women, has hardly disappeared. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: A Quentin Tarantino skeptic takes great pleasure in ‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’," 24 July 2019 In the women’s division, Miki Sudo, also the defending champion, clenched the Mustard Belt again with her sixth consecutive first-place finish. — Currie Engel, Time, "Joey Chestnut Claims 12th Title at Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest," 4 July 2019 When police arrived, the man yelled profanities at officers, clenched his fists and tried to provoke a fight with them. — Bob Sandrick, cleveland.com, "Man, boy fight each other on Wallace Drive in Berea; drunk man tries to pick fight with Berea police," 21 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clench.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for clench
clench
verb
English Language Learners Definition of clench
: to set (something) in a tightly closed position
: to hold (something) tightly
See the full definition for clench in the English Language Learners Dictionary
clench
verb
\ ˈklench
\
\
clenched;
clenching
Kids Definition of clench
1
: to hold tightly : clutch
She clenched a pen in her hand.
2
: to set or close tightly
“I'll sit and clench my teeth and never tell you one thing.”— Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
Keep scrolling for more