clench

verb

clenched; clenching; clenches

transitive verb

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
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.
This show has turned into me standing in front of my screen every week, fists clenched, threatening the producers not to send Charles L. home or God so help me. Alice Burton, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024 Dry mouth Teeth clenching or grinding (bruxism) Mouth infections Nutritional deficiencies Taking medications, including blood pressure medications Diabetes can also cause BMS, although in that cause the burning is considered to be a type of diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage from diabetes). Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2024 Neely twists and writhes as Penny clenches the man’s neck and wraps his legs around his body. Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2024 From the moments after he was shot and played to his supporters by clenching a fist and calling on them to fight, Trump has recognized the political potency of the incident and has sought to use it to his advantage. Sophia Cai, Axios, 5 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for clench 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English -clencan; akin to Old English clingan to cling

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clench was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near clench

Cite this Entry

“Clench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clench. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

clench

verb
1
: to hold fast : clutch
2
: to set or close tightly
clench one's teeth
clench one's fist

More from Merriam-Webster on clench

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!