clenched; clenching; clenches
1
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
clench
noun
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Her purplish hands remained clenched on her chest.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
To estimate 10 degrees in the sky, use the width of your clenched first held at arm's length.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
As a model named Carl, stuck in a relationship corrupted by microcelebrity and Instagram view counts, Dickinson ticks with exasperation and sarcastic logic, his jaw clenched, his eyes wide and staring.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
When the sky darkens, her stomach clenches.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clench
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.
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
To estimate 10 degrees in the sky, use the width of your clenched first held at arm's length.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
As a model named Carl, stuck in a relationship corrupted by microcelebrity and Instagram view counts, Dickinson ticks with exasperation and sarcastic logic, his jaw clenched, his eyes wide and staring.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
When the sky darkens, her stomach clenches.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clench
Cite this Entry
“Clench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clench. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share