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.

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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

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noun

1. a firm grasp or grip

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

noun

1. another word for clinch

Etymology

Origin of clench

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

Explanation

When you clench something, you grip, press, or squeeze it. You might clench your fists when you're angry or clench your teeth when you're worried, for example. People often clench parts of their own bodies, but they can also clench other things. Your grandmother might tend to clench you in her arms when you visit her, and a toddler might clench his stuffed animal to his chest when he falls asleep at night. The Old English root of clench is beclencan, which means "to hold fast or make cling," and it has the same origins as the word cling.

Example Sentences

"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 • Feb. 27, 2026

Introduced to Stallone and his family, the Pope said how much he enjoyed the actor's films, prompting a smiling Stallone to clench his fists as if ready to spar, saying, "Ready, we box."

From Reuters • Sep. 8, 2023

“We confirmed that the left lower jaw of the mammal does indeed plunge into the rock to clench the ribs of the dinosaur,” Mallon says.

From Scientific American • Jul. 18, 2023

My father would clench his fists and swing his arms, echoing the chorus of Belafonte’s declaration, “That’s right, de woman is, UH, smarter! That’s right! That’s right!”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2023

I nod and clench my hands in my skirts.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

• clamp
• clasp
• clutch